Answers Round Two

It's time to answer some more questions that y'all asked me a lifetime ago a few months ago. 

(Check out the first set of questions and answers here.) 

- What is your worst trait?

I would have to say that it's my impatience. I can't stand to wait, walk slow, drive slow, listen to someone ramble on in a story, etc. I like quick answers and fast drivers. It really is something that I'm working on, especially being a nurse and a newlywed! 

- Are you a momma's girl or a daddy's girl?

I am without a doubt a mommy's girl. We talk nearly every single day...and when we do go a day without talking, it's creepy and usually only because I worked all day. My mommy is my best friend!

- What is your favorite color?

I feel like it's pretty obvious from my blog, but just in case there's any lingering confusion...it's pink! All shades of pink! Surprisingly, I'm also a huge fan of green. In college, my entire dorm room was done in pink and green and basically looked like a 4 year old's room. And I loved it. 

My dorm room my SENIOR year of college. 

- What is your favorite book?

I think my all time favorite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It's a tale of the most beautiful love story ever written and shows how true love comes through Christ and Christ alone!

- What is your favorite movie?

I can't pick. Serendipity, Armageddon, The Notebook. I. love. love. 

- How old were you and your husband when you guys got married?

I was 24 and he was 23. Cougar. Rawr. 

photo via Brandon O'Neal Photography

- What advice would you give someone who is trying to grow their blog?

I would say blog consistently, be true to who you are, and share the love. Our blog is our platform in the world, our chance to share our lives. We ALL want to feel important, treasured, heard and appreciated. Visit a lot of blogs and leave genuine comments...and the love will get returned. : ) 

- At what age did you lose your virginity?

I wrote a whole post about that here. Feel free to read it!

- What is your most embarrassing moment?

Y'all...no lie: I turn red just thinking about it. I mean, I have quite a few, but this one always pops up first when someone asks this question. In the first grade, we were taking a test and my teacher refused to let me leave and go to the bathroom. She said that I could "hold it" until the test was over. Well, guess what? I couldn't hold it. I peed ALL over the floor and it started trickling through the rows of desks and everyone started laughing. I tried to laugh, too...to pretend that it wasn't me. But everyone knew. And guess what? The teacher excused me to the bathroom then. I mean, come on, wetting your pants is for preschoolers!

I'm a winner. 

- What is a lesson that you've learned the hard way?

Oh, how convenient. I'm revealing the answer to this question today over on Tatiana's blog. It's honest and deep and was a little scary to broadcast. (Okay, yes, I made this question up to perfectly plug my guest post. But wasn't it perfectly plugged?!)

Anyone else have any other questions to ask? Fire away! Ha, I used a fire pun and my husband is a fireman. 

Love, love!!

Sometimes and Always #2

Sometimes: I wish I was brave enough to dye my hair dark black. 

Always: I leave the salon with the same blonde highlights and haircut. 

Hair for life!

Sometimes: I think we are ready to have babies. 

Always: I have a major freak out moment if I am even one day late. 

Sometimes: I enjoy having a night at home by myself. 

Always: I set the alarm and lock the bedroom door when I'm home alone. 

Sometimes: I think how neat and clean my house would be without puppies.

Always: I am glad to have puppies. (Okay, almost always!) ; )

Sometimes: My husband does the laundry. 

Always: I get mad when he doesn't wash his hands before touching the clean clothes. 

Sometimes: I think about actually getting up and working out. 

Always: I enjoy continuing to sit on my butt, blogging and watching tv.

Sometimes: I wish I was cool enough to do outfit posts.

Always: I feel like a big idiot taking outfit pictures and posting them.

Awwwwwkward. 

Let me know if y'all decide to write some of these. I'd love to read them! : )

Love, love!

PS: Ornament swap partners got sent out yesterday! Email me if there's any questions! 

The Birthday List

While most people are making out their Christmas list, I'm in full blown birthday list mode. 

My birthday will be here super soon. It's the 24th for all of y'all just dying to know. So just remember while y'all are loading up on turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie...take a little moment to be thankful for me. ; ) 

Here's what I'm wishing for this birthday:

1) Kindle Fire

via

2) iPhone 4s

via

3) Victoria's Secret Very Sexy

via

and

4) Madden Girl Moto Boots in bone

via

So who wants to buy me what?

Wanna see a sneak peak of next year's birthday wish list??

via

Just kidding! Maybe. ; )

Have a beautiful Sunday!

Love, love!

PS: Don't forget to enter the stationery giveaway here!

Holiday Gift Help

I am officially starting my holiday shopping this weekend. 

Seriously. I hope so. 

I can always use some gift help and lucky for y'all (and me!), I have some sponsors that can make gift giving a little bit easier!

Meet the sweet shop Naomi Lynn, full of absolutely amazing, creative and vibrant stationery. The adorable note cards from this shop would be perfect for a friend or sister...or anyone who loves getting mail!

Take a look at the amazing Showcase 66! This shop is packed with gorgeous wall vinyl art, ranging from inspirational sayings to love quotes to decorative pieces. These would be perfect for any new couple or new homeowner! 

Next up is the stunning Define Design 11! It's not even a joke when I say this shop takes my breath away! It's full of the most amazing prints, including wedding map prints and hometown prints. And I can say from personal experience that your order will ship SO fast and arrive in pristine condition!!

That leaves us with House of Shep, the stunning shop full of fun vinyl quotes and personalized plaques. The owner is a personal blog friend of mine and has such a beautiful and sweet spirit. Her personalized items would be perfect for family, friends, couples and kids. She covers it all! : )

Go ahead and check out those shops. Be sure to let me know if you buy something. Not because you'll get a prize or anything, just because I'm nosy and I'd love to know what you buy!! ; )

Happy weekend!!

Love, love!

A New Home

Noooooo, not a new home for us. That won't be for awhile. 

My best friend Melissa and her sweet family moved into their first owned house last weekend and we were honored and thrilled to be able to spend the weekend with them. 

We unpacked boxes, said a bunch of silly things, ate a lot of food (including Popeye's and rice krispie treats), watched the babies explore their new home, and cherished spending time together. 

Goodbye rent house, hello new house!

Wanna know the first thing my sweet friend did when they signed their closing papers? She hurried over to the house to set out her pumpkins and wreath. She's definitely a Pinterest freak.

Thank goodness her second task was toilet paper. 

Unpacking in her brand new kitchen. 

The hubs and I slept in Savannah's big girl bed. 

And this is what we woke up to...melt my heart. 

I think the babies definitely approve of their new house.

There's furniture and decor, granite counters and double vanities...but y'all know what really makes me swoon about the house? That it's where they will raise those babies (and more!) and teach them to love Jesus. It's where they will do homework and hang stockings and have time outs...where they will bake cookies and hunt Easter eggs and play board games.

It's where they will live and love, learn and laugh. And that is what makes it HOME.

Love, love!

These Three Things - Choose to Be Happy

It's time for my favorite day of the week in the blog world...another guest post in my "These Three Things" series! Hooray! Today the absolutely beautiful Chelsea is here from Choose to Be Happy to share the three things that define her. Chels is one of my favorite bloggers out there for SO many reasons...she's super sweet, laugh out loud hilarious, and a precious thing full of positive energy. She is stunningly beautiful...and she's just as pretty on the inside, too. Y'all definitely need to head over to her blog. It's a daily read for me! : )

ooo i am so very happy to be here today on meggie's
blog!
she's one of my virtual favorites.
even if her lsu,
beat my alabama... whatever.
so, 3 things that help define
me..
well, that's easy as
A. B. C:


1.) Alabama

sweet home alabama

the biggest leap of faith i have
ever taken was when I decided to attend the University of Alabama.
 

i grew up in Connecticut so Alabama
was a far, far way from home. and well, i didn't know one single soul
there.

 but i just had this feeling.
 i  was drawn to the south.

you see, i'm like a
plant. 
sometimes i think i need sunlight
more than i need food. this is no exaggeration.
 

the sun, it gives me happiness
superpowers.  
i'm kind of dependent on
it. 

So I applied. I enrolled. And I fell in
love. 

 In love with the the campus, the people, the weather. I was smitten with
every dot of it.

so i took that leap of faith, and i am
very happy i did.  

i
have such fun college memories with some very special people to look
back on and miss.

 {plus, i met my
boyfriend there, which leads me to number 2...}

2.) Baseball

ooo baseball.  i have such a
love/hate relationship with this sport
but, its a big part of my
life. 
my boyfriend plays it for a
living. 

In 2009 he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies
organization.  
Baseball season carries him far up North from the very
beginning of March to mid or late September.  
half the year. 
it's not fun, this long distance
stuff. 

It has taught me that the baseball
lifestyle is not for the weak of heart, its a long
season. 
and it definitely continues
to challenge me.

so, for a couple of long months, our worlds do not
allow us to be in the same place.
but sometimes, your greatest weaknesses become your
greatest strengths. 
and that thought, it gives me comfort.
  
I am learning to deal with the curve balls and one day
i will win over baseball,
it might just take a few extra innings :)

3.) Celebrating

i love to celebrate!
especially birthdays... they are
kind of my specialty. 
but! not just whole
birthdays.... half birthdays too.
 half birthdays are extra great
since most over the ripe age of 7 don’t keep track.
{i am the exception}
this makes the element of surprise
so much better for the unsuspecting
i hope the kid in me will always
continue to love the joy in celebrating
whether its birthdays, half birthdays or just every day
little life things.
It’s my own special way of showing others just
how happy I am to have them in my life. 


so there you have it,
A, B, and C-- that was fun!
thanks so much for having me Megan!

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Y'all, isn't she just THE cutest?! Chelsea, I totally love the way you did your three things. You're cute and creative...I guess we will keep you around. : ) But seriously, I can't imagine having a long distance relationship for so many months a year. You are amazing and that talented BF is lucky to have you!

Thanks so much for this sweet guest post!! : )

Love, love!

Sometimes and Always

Sometimes: I set my alarm clock 30 minutes early, just to feel that excited "ooohhh I have 30 more minutes to sleep" feeling when it goes off. 

Always: I never want to get out of bed before noon. 

Sometimes: I think how enriching it would be for me to read a book, and then I turn on a reality tv show.

Always: I really enjoy those reality tv shows. : )

Sometimes: I am late for work because I HAVE to go to Starbucks every morning. 

Always: I am grumpy without morning caffeine. 

Sometimes: I want to kick my husband when he doesn't rinse his plate off after eating. 

Always: I enjoy checking out my hubby's cute butt, especially in jeans. 

Don't forget to enter my current giveaway for precious stationery here!

AND

Don't forget to sign up for the Christmas ornament swap here! Today is the LAST day!!

Love, love!

Motivational Monday - In His Image

Another week is starting and we have so many opportunities to let our lights shine for God.

My goal this week is to really exemplify Christ in all of the things that I do. 

Yesterday our pastor made a pretty profound statement: if we say that we have been saved and that our hearts have been changed by God, then our lives MUST reflect that! We can't be living for God without a noticeable change in our behavior. The worldly behaviors that were once okay are no longer okay. Yes, we are going to sin and yes, we have forgiveness, but we should be seeking to be like Jesus in all that we do. 

Once we have been saved, God commands us to "put to death" our earthly nature, which includes greed, lust, sexual immorality, anger, filthy language and impurity. We must then "clothe ourselves" with compassion, kindness, humility and patience. In other words, we must be the image of Christ!!

Our pastor said it perfectly: we can't just be Christians on Sunday. We have to be Christians ALL the time. Exemplifying God ALL the time. We should surround ourselves with Godly things. Remember, the things that we do, watch, say and read directly impact our hearts and our nature. 

God is ALL powerful and is capable of relinquishing us from anything if we ask. He raised His son from the dead, don't y'all think that he can help us quit cussing, drinking, lusting, gossiping, etc?! He holds the world in His hands...He can do anything!!

This verse says it all...we have a NEW self when we are saved. We put our old self and our worldly ways to death and now we must strive to be like our Creator. 

As I go through my days, I want people to look, whisper, and point...to say "wow, there is just something different about her." I don't want to be like the world. I want to be like Christ. 

I pray for all of y'all, obviously not by name, but as bloggers and friends. If you are lost or confused, hurting or broken, there is a God who loves YOU, flaws and all. I'm always here to talk if y'all need something! I'd love to hear from y'all!

Love, love!

Little Joys

I wanted to start this beautiful Sunday off on the right foot and just take a moment (or a blog post) to remember how truly blessed I am in life. So often we bulldoze through the days without taking time to ENJOY what God has given us. 

I want to take the time each day to find joy in the moments of life and to really live in and enjoy each day!

Today I'm thankful for:

- A Sunday where the hubs and I are both off and get to go to church together. 

- Freshly painted pink nails. 

- A fabulous weekend with some amazing friends, talking about life, love, marriage, babies, and everything in between. Sharing dreams, discussing goals, expressing fears, and reveling in the Lord's plan. 

- A tall glass of cold water with crushed ice. 

- Dark curtains that help us sleep in...even now that it's super bright at 6 am!

- Cinnamon rolls in the morning. Mmm mmm. 

- Husbands who make cinnamon rolls in the morning. Mmm mmm. : )

- Afternoon drives with the hubs, playing the "what if we lived there" game. 

- Sweet puppies who wag their tails as soon as they see you wake up in the morning. 

- Dry shampoo for days when the hair just isn't working. 

- Endless love and blessed forgiveness from the Lord. 

What are y'all thankful for today?? 

Love, love!

Oh Joyous Weekend

A few things.

- I have gotten 4-5 hours of sleep each night for the past 4 nights. I need SLEEP!

- Grey's Anatomy was majorly stressing me out last night. It is SO. GOOD.

- I'm not really liking this whole time change thing. It is so dark by 5 pm. Ridiculous. : )

- A patient brought a strand of Christmas lights to the ER yesterday. To hang. In their room. While they were getting treatment. It. was. awesome. 

- One of our couple friends just had a new sweet baby boy. 

(Rocking husband's jacket because I was in my nasty hospital scrubs!)

- I kind of want a baby now. As in, "husband meet me in the bedroom right now." : )

- I'm SO SO excited about how many people have signed up for the Christmas ornament swap! Go here if y'all want to sign up! It's not too late!

- We are heading out of town for the weekend to help my college bestie and her family move into their first ever house! It's basically going to be a big sleepover and I cannot wait. 

What are y'all up to this weekend??

Love, love!

PS: The winner of the chevron clutch is Katie. Email me!

These Three Things - BEAUtiful Mess

Hi dear loves! It's time for "These Three Things" again and this time it's the beautiful Stephanie from BEAUtiful Mess. She is one feisty Texas Southern belle with a fabulous sense of humor. She has a passion for health and her husband...which are two pretty important things to me. : ) Not to mention she is a blonde bombshell. Her blog is definitely one of my favorites and I can't wait for y'all to get to know her and the three things that define her! Enjoy!

Hey y'all! I'm Stephanie from "BEAUtiful Mess".

Nice to meetcha!

When Megan asked me to fill in for "These 3 Things" I easily accepted without hesitation. Duh?! Which was soon followed with the frantic thought to myself, "Crap. What are my 3 things?!?" and then shortly followed by "Dang it. Mine's NEVER gonna be as good as Shalyn & DrewDrewHotPant's..."

So I tossed around the idea of getting all mushy with you guys and talking about my handsome husband, my love for traveling and my passion for health & wellness, but then I presumed that would be all too serious and lame.

Then I thought, well, what if I list my 3 "pretend" dream jobs (aka: jobs I would love to one day have, but I know would never happen...so I can pretend to dream about them)...which are photographer, wedding planner and a professional honeymooner...all at once. (Now do you see why this would never happen?)

Then I thought, nah....let's just go with the 3 things that you will never, and I mean NEVER, find me without.

MASCARA: I don't care what you think of me after reading this...read my lips (err-typing): I do not go anywhere without mascara on. Not happenin'. You see, I have these really big, awkward eyes that just look down right creepy without mascara. It is not a pretty sight. Yea, I'm the girl that wears makeup to the gym and the pool...go ahead and judge. 

I'm just doing the world a favor one brush stroke at a time...

LIP BALM: For no other reason than the fact that I get extreme anxiety when it's not on my person. I'm talking get out of my way, you DO NOT want to be around me, worst temper tantrum everrrr. They could raise the price of lip balm to $10 a tube and I'd still buy them by the handful. I'm telling you, this stuff is like caffeine to me. I literally feen for it. I've even slept with it stuffed in my pillowcase and tucked into my shorts at night just to make sure it's not too far from me. I'm pathetic. Ladies & gentlemen, I'm not exaggerating. If I paid someone to stand next to me and count how many times I applied lip balm each day, let's just say they'd have job security for the rest of their life.

iPHONE: Does this one really need an explanation? Ok. Maybe it does. I mean, who in their right mind knows the time or date without their iPhone? Not me. What would I do without social media? No Twitter, Blogger OR Pinterest for an entire day??? That just sounds down right awful if you ask me. Could you imagine actually having to watch the news to see what the weather is going to be like? Nope. And don't even get me started on being camera-less for a day...I mean, would life even be worth living? (Kidding. Maybe.)

Wow. It's pretty sad that I can't even fathom life without these things.

You would have thought I'd at least include a toothbrush or gum or something sanitary.

But no...priorities, people. Priorities.

Time to fly.

Lip balm is callin' my name. ; )

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahhhh, hahaha! Stephanie! You seriously had me laughing out LOUD to the point where my husband got mad because I was interrupting his hunting show on tv. Your inner conversation with yourself about Shalyn and DDHP was hilarious! And I'm totally with you on the iPhone thing. It is sad, but it's understandable. I mean, we need our camera at all times. We are bloggers. : )

You and your hubby are just too cute. I adore y'all. Thanks for being here!

Love, love!

PS: Don't forget to enter the Christmas blogger ornament swap!

Blogger Ornament Swap

I am SO excited about today. I've actually been anxiously awaiting it, which is why I didn't post yesterday...I just couldn't stop thinking about today's post!! : )

My sweet blog friend AND now real life friend Julie and I were talking about something fun to do for Christmas and decided that a blog ornament swap would be super fun! I'll be honest, most of this was Julie's idea, but hey, I can still be excited, right?! : )

(Yeah, she made this super cute button, too. Not me.)    : )

So here's the details: 

1) Sign up will run today (11/9) through Wednesday, November 16th.

To sign up, please leave a comment on this post with your:

-Name

-Email address

-Blog URL

2) On Monday, November 21st, we will announce partners and y'all can exchange addresses.

3) Purchase an ornament for your partner (spending limit is $15).

4) Ship your ornament by December 5th.

5) We will have a link-up on both of our blogs on December 14th so we can show off our new ornaments!

It's super simple to sign up (just leave me a comment) and it will seriously be SO much fun! It's a great way to get in the Christmas spirit, get a pretty new ornament, and make some new blog friends! I really hope y'all will join us! Please let me know if y'all have any questions!

And if y'all want to spread the word, here's the button!

<center><a href="http://www.thesmittenmintons.com/2011/11/ornament-swap.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j451/jminton22/ornamentswapbutton-250.jpg" /></a></center>

So who wants to be my partner?! ; )
SIGN UP!

Love, love!

PS: Thanks for all the sweet words about Monday's post. I love y'all times a million.