Real friendships can start online and get closer in person…

(Emily, Me and Nester)

Real friends will let you crash in their room because you were driving back and forth from home…

(Sandy, Me, Nester and Melissa)

I learned to ask hard questions:

Why am I blogging?

Who am I helping?

How do I balance my online life and my “real life”?

It was a great time of leaning but, I also had a blast with my sweet blogging friends!

(My hair on Thursday night. And yes, I did make the feather hair clip. They will be for sale soon!)

(Two talented and adorable gals…Lisa and Emily)

(The awesome posy pin maker: Lindsey)

(Ever inspiring Edie)

(Lovely house bloggers Melissa and Kimba)

(Jen and Nester…full of frugal beauty how to’s)

(The hilarious and down to earth duo: Kristen and Nester)

(And my new friend Gussy)

All these lovely photos (except Gussy’s) were taken by the lovely Emily. You can visit her at Chatting At The Sky.

Mary at Giving Up On Perfect is having a 10 week weight loss challenge.

I was going back and forth about joining in. But, what do I have to loose?!

Well, I do know exactly what need to loose…all this squish making my clothes too tight!

So, like Jessie from Vanderbilt Wife and Ashleigh at Heart and Home I’m going at this the real food way.

Here’s my starting plan:

*Lower carbs

*8-10 glasses of water

*Coconut oil

*Lots of veggies, some fruits

*Grass fed protein

*30 minutes + of exercise daily

Y’all I am totally printing this out and putting it on the fridge.

Oh. Boy.

Here. We. Go!

{insert nervous sigh}

Photo by Alicia Hicks www.aahphotography.net

Our son just celebrated his 10th birthday on Sunday. Yep, he’s a Valentine baby. {smile}

This year we discovered the joy of a simple birthday.

Pizza and salad after church.

Family gathered around to sing to the birthday boy and a whole set of R. M. Ballantyne books that everyone gave him.

How do you celebrate birthdays at your house?

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails…”

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I’ve started an new blog at Beautifully Feminine!

Here’s a portion of the about page:

This is a place where I want you to find encouragement to enjoy being a woman. I’ll share practical tips on how to apply makeup, find frugal fashions, budget friendly spa recipes and so much more.

To kick off this new blog I’m hosting a giveaway for Pretty Stinkin Green.

Hannah and Deb are giving away this beautiful red rose pillow!

Visit Beautifully Feminine to enter to win!