I have a special announcement! After a long time going back and forth I have decided to pursue photography. It has been my passion since I was a teenager. After dabbling here and there I am going forward with it. This last week I did my first styled mini shoot, a holiday milk and cookies session. After a lot of requests I am going to offer them to friends and family for three special dates: 11/28, 12/1 and 12/2. Space is limited so please message me for more info. 
I am so excited to say that Beauty and The Beast hits the theaters this Friday, March 17th! A few weeks ago the hubby and I snuck away for a date day to screen the film. As the opening began and the tune to “Belle” played I began to cry. I know that seems so silly but when one of the most loved movies of your childhood is now becoming apart of your adult life its crazy. I love how Disney is recreating childhood classics. Beauty and the Beast has held up to all the hype. It’s crazy good! Emma Watson portrays Belle beautifully and for those who have asked me on social media, her British accent does not throw you off. I mean, think about the cartoon version, Belle has an American accent in France. They are both beautiful and it doesn’t really matter, well, at least to me. I love how this version maintained the storyline and added some new flair that intertwined flawlessly. The music was outstanding and of course most of the audience was humming along to every song. How could you not? The soundtrack is a classic and the new rendition of “Beauty and the Beast” by John Legend and Ariana Grande has a new place in my heart right next to Celine’s version. ugh. I have to be honest here, the hubs and I have been humming the songs and have to turn on the music even when the kids aren’t in the car. Another fav was Gaston. His boasting, self-centered egotistic personality is always a favorite and the pub scene was fab! All of the characters are simply magical and did not disappoint the original.
There’s so many aspects to discuss in this film but to me the most important is the romance! Yes the romance! Belle and the Beast’s onscreen chemistry sucks you in. The Beast, in my opinion, looks a lot scarier than the cartoon version, but you see this complex character come to life and it’s beautiful. This version goes more into detail about his life pre-curse and when he helps answer one of Belle’s lifelong questions, the love starts to blossom, despite the petals falling to their dark fate. The ending will have you on the edge of your seat even though we all know how it ends. It’s simply magical, especially the gown! Oh my goodness, it gave me goosebumps when it came to life. The newly released Beauty and the Beast is a must see for the entire family!
Have little ones? They will love these coloring sheets. Just click to print! They are perfect to get the kids excited before the film or after to keep the magic going! If you’re planning a Beauty and the Beast party you could make mini coloring books with these as a favor!
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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is rated PG and opens in theatres everywhere on March 17th, 2017!
Thank you to Disney for allowing me to share these free Beauty and the Beast Coloring sheets with my readers!
This past year I have had a plethora of post ideas. I have written them in my head. I have lugged my mac book with me to get ahead of posts because I was finally going to get the ball rolling. But then I found myself tired at night, telling myself that I will get to the post tomorrow and then it’s a week later, or like our Disney World trip it’s been eight months. I dream of sharing the pretty pictures I just had to snap making my family patiently wait to eat a delectable dessert just to get that one picture. I feel like I have shared this story with my one reader, I am pretty sure that I am my only reader and that’s okay! My virtual space has taken the backseat. This past year was horrible in terms of work. I found myself drowning every week, not that I was too busy because I bring that on myself with overextending myself with volunteering and other nonsense. I hated my work life. I despised that I was in the same industry I have been in since I was sixteen. It’s embarrassing and it shouldn’t be. I took on several roles at work, for six months I was the GM, the bar manager and the marketing director. Shifts I was scheduled as the bartender I wore all of these hats. I survived but I am burnt the fuck out. I was not appreciated by all and it took a toll on my family and I. They are the ones that always suffer. It didn’t sink in until Payton one day said that mommy is only good at working. My heart sank into a pile of mush and I secretly cried in the passenger seat. My then six-year-old thinks I am only good at working. Now, I know where a lot of this comes from. It’s not that I am absent many nights of the week but that I over emphasize to my children when we are out and about how not to act when they are in the working world. I want them to be conscientious of their attitude and their willingness to help others. I want them to have a stellar work ethic like me and their daddy. A few months ago I was finding myself crying after every shift. I wanted to walk-out almost night, but because I know I am better than this I stay. Right before Thanksgiving I had an impromptu meeting with the owner who took me off of marketing. I obliged, because I knew I had to. I hadn’t been giving it my all because after all those months of wearing three hats and minimally compensated for the work I was doing I started to drop the ball on marketing. The fact that my actual paychecks would be void sent me into a deep depressed state. I found out minutes after the meeting that he lied to me on the reasoning why. I left the meeting semi-relieved but then was saddened that I was lied to. I have worked there for almost ten years. I had that sinking falling feeling in my gut again. I don’t matter. My sacrifices mean nothing. It is a business after all. New management continually changing and the same formula happening with each new face. I am the bad guy. I am the reason we are failing. Yet, when they fail I am called upon to pick-up the pieces. This time after going through five GM’s in less than two-years I am done being the bad guy. I am not the bad guy. I am a percentage of why you still have a standing business because your regulars love me and I have service industry values I pride myself on. This is why my daughter says I am great at working. I take pride in everything I put my heart in. My years of working in this establishment are dwindling down. I am taking charge of my life. I am more than scared because if you truly know me you know that I dread change. It scares the shit out of me. I am shy and I don’t like being the center of attention. I cringe when I think that I am taking a leap of faith thanks to my parents whom I am sure are sick of hearing me cry to them about work. They are making this leap possible. My prayer for 2017 is optimism, strength and courage as I embark on the unknown.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PAPYRUSXTaylorSwift #CollectiveBias
If you guys have been following me you know that we have been painting our main living spaces. This project has been overwhelming and I found myself staring into Payton’s room. Her room has always been one of my favorite places. It’s the brightest room in the house, it has the comfiest bed that she will probably never sleep in and it really is just a happy, calm place for her (or I) to go to. She’s turning seven in December and it was really time to transition some of the baby items out of her room. The large display of hair bows needed to go. I thought a positive, cheerful photo corner using greeting cards would be an awesome addition to our growing girls room.
I am a greeting card lover. I tend to stroll the aisles and pick-up beautifully crafted cards with meaningful messages to give to girlfriends and family. When I saw the Taylor Swift inspired Papyrus collection, I knew that I could create an inspirational photo wall using the gorgeously embellished cards exclusively available at Target. I just loved the messages; some quirky, some sweet and sassy. The designs were even cuter and the embellishments were spot on in Papyrus fashion. There were so many to choose from but I picked out four to take home…for now.
Have you guys been to Target lately? I make a few trips a week and new stuff pops up all the time. I am particularly loving the unfinished wood craft section. I found unfinished wood signs that I knew I could stain and distress. I added antiqued photo clips to the boards and I finished them off with photos and a few cards from the the Papyrus Taylor Swift collection. Papyrus is a social expressions company, which is perfect for this project because I want Payton to always express herself however she want. Plus, I just really love their cards! 😉
For creating the look, I wanted the unfinished boards to look like distressed wood. I placed screws in a plastic bag and hit the boards over and over again. The bags will get holes so you will have to switch the bags out. I also scored the wood with a screw driver to add some lines. I applied the stain with a cloth and let it dry for 30 minutes. Then, with an electric sander fitted with fine sand paper I sanded the boards until I achieved the look I was going for. I painted on some acrylic white paint and Payton helped out. This was key for this project. As much as I wanted it all to be a surprise, having her help out made this transition easier. She doesn’t like change so having her add a touch to her space made it more special. Once the white paint dried I sanded the wood again until I was happy with the look. I went back over it two days later because I wanted it even lighter.
Once the boards were finished, I placed the cards and photos on to see how to place the antiqued photo clips. You can adhere these with some finishing screws. We then measured her wall and marked the hooks on the back the boards. I added three wooden arrows I also found at Target near the wood signs.
Payton’s first concert was Taylor Swift. I chose a picture with us before the concert, some with her brother and some with her girlfriends. The addition of the positive, flawless cards made the space special. I always want my girl to live loud and to live beautifully.
There are 44 exclusive cards in the collection so there is something for everyone and for every project! The back of the card has a number so you can collect them all! This collection is only available at Target so next time you’re there, check it out!
Have a fantastic week! I hope that you find some inspiration today. Make sure to follow me on Instagram.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Mars, Incorporated. All opinions are mine alone. #SpookyTreats #CollectiveBias
Summer has come to an end and with that comes the changing of my candy table in my dining room. My china buffet rotates seasonally with fun candies and decorations and it’s something my family looks forward to seeing. I typically like to surprise them and the table is never the same because the seasonal candy is always changing. I always start at Target because I am there way too often, isn’t there an AA for frequent weekly Target visits? Maybe that’s why there’s the dollar section and Starbucks? Either way, when Target began phasing out all the back-to-school supplies I started noticing cute end caps at the front of the store featuring an exclusive Target M&M flavor, Boo-tterscotch White Chocolate. My compulsive seasonal candy obsession kicked in and I snagged a few six bags and headed to the back of the store to the Halloween shop. When I build my candy tables I always look at: M&M’s, Skittles, DOVE and Starburst. I look at these because their seasonal colors and flavors are always on point. The Halloween M&M’s are some of my favorites and with the addition of the exclusive Boo-tterscotch White Chocolate flavor I grabbed the Candy Corn flavor because I love the classic colors. Another fun addition to this years shop is Target’s exclusive DOVE Milk Chocolate Ghosts. Once I had all my candy I circled back up to the front of the store to the dollar spot and found cute glass jars and pom-pom garland. You guys, Target is seriously your one-stop Halloween shop but you need to shop early in the season because you can miss some great finds. Plus, don’t forget to use your Cartwheel app, it saves me a ton of money.
Remember the jars I picked up in the dollar spot? I thought it would be fun to fill them with the M&M’s and DOVE chocolates that I purchased. I created a quick Halloween tag that I printed (download at the bottom), I cut them out with a round and scalloped paper cutter, I added some twine, Halloween fabric and voila! These are perfect to give to a co-worker or that special someone just to put a smile on their face. Who wouldn’t want a jar full of silky smooth DOVE Milk Chocolate Ghosts with a tag that reads, “You’re My Boo”.
When you’re building a holiday candy bar you need to have some height. I have two larger and two mid-size apothecary jars. I then add a focal point, a large black Halloween tree then two smaller on each side. I added a large black spider, a plush spider, and then lower items like the smaller candy jars and pumpkins. I draped the table with a black spider web cloth and the backdrop is a spider web fabric attached to the wall.
The DOVE Dark Chocolate Pumpkins are also sinful and spooky.
Skittles Cauldron mix is bright and cheerful. Halloween doesn’t have to be all black and orange.
As you can see it’s pretty simple to put together a spooky candy bar with Target’s one-stop Halloween shop. Do you put together a seasonal table, what do you include?
Spooky Candy Bar Target Shopping List:
M&M’s Boo-tterscotch White Chocolate – M&M’s Candy Corn – DOVE milk chocolate ghosts – DOVE dark chocolate pumpkins – Skittles Cauldron mix – Starburst Halloween mix – Glass Jars from dollar spot – Pom-Pom garland from dollar spot.
Printable Tags: bootag-mypbandj
Remember to tag your creations with me on Instagram.
