Tucker Blair Giveaway Winner!

Good morning!

Who knew picking a winner was going to be so hard?! Does anyone have a better system for picking a winner when you have given multiple chances besides writing the names out and then drawing from a hat? If so, I'd like to hear it! :)

Anyway, the lucky winner of my very first giveaway is.....

SMR in the City!

Congratulations! Please email me and let me know your headband choice and address to mail it to!

And for all the other gals who didn't win, don't fret because Taylor over at Tucker Blair has a couple more surprises up his preppy sleeve for Her Southern Charm readers, so stay tuned....

Off to Mexico today! Be back (hopefully more tan!) on Monday!

Happy weekend!

xoxo Y

Ash Wednesday

For those who so not celebrate Lent and observe Ash Wednesday, you're probably wondering why many people seem to be walking around with 'dirt' on their foreheads.

Thankfully, it isn't dirt. :) It's ash- hence the name, Ash Wednesday. For many Christians, it marks the beginning of Lent. For those who may not know about this season, here's a quick summary.

During a mass or church service, ashes are placed on the forehead of the faithful as a sign of repentance. Traditionally, the ashes used are the burnt remnants from the Palm Crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday. When you go up to receive the ashes, the priest will say to you on of the following from Scriptures: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return," "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel," or "Repent, and hear the good news."

Of course, not every Christian will celebrate Ash Wednesday. If you don't, that's OK. And if you do, that's OK, too. I think we all have different ways of honoring our Lord. What pains me so much in this world is to see Christians against Christians- fighting over semantics and traditions. They're wrong. We're right.

But I truly don't believe that makes our Lord happy- to see his children pit against each other. Christ exercised tolerance in ways that amazed the people He encountered during His years of ministry. Christianity as a whole, is a diverse and inclusive religion. I would hope that we, as Christians, could honor our walk with the Lord by practicing tolerance and love, on this day and every day.

Happy celebrating!

xoxo Y

PS- Don't forget today is the last day to sign up for the Tucker Blair Headband giveaway! I'll announce a lucky winner tomorrow morning, then I'm off to the Riviera Maya! Whoo hoo!

Crafty Tuesdays- February 24, 2009

Welcome to another Crafty Tuesday!

Well, I tried really hard to get a good craft for you gals, I really did. But my viking had a mind of her very own. And can I tell you, she's being a bit of a pain!

This is what I was going for...

And this is what I got...

Well, actually, it's what I ended up with. :(

I started the project by getting a super cute and super cheap slub tee from Tarjay. Then I laid our coordinating pieces of fabric onto fusible webbing. I ironed the squares on to get them to stick, the cut out the heart shapes by hand.

Once that was finished, I laid them onto the shirt in what I thought was a good arrangement. Then, ironed those babies on to get the webbing to fuse to the shirt.

After that, I tried to stitch the hearts on. The original shirt's hearts were just sewn with a straight stitch to let the edges fray after washing for a cute effect. I was going along perfectly fine and had one heart down, and then this happened...

Ugh!!!Double ugh!!

I'm telling you, this Viking has given me so much trouble. I know my sweet hubs paid a pretty penny for it when he bought it for my birthday. It isn't even a year old and it's already been back to them for work. I'm going to have to find time to run this up to Joann's before our trip to see if I can get the ladies to look at it. I don't think I have to tell you how frustrated I am! It's the same problem time after time- something keeps pulling the fabric in and causes a big ol' mess inside the bobbin area.

Last time I took it in, they said I wasn't using the correct bobbins. Apparently Viking has their own special bobbins made just for their machines. And at almost $14 for 10 bobbins, it's not a very thrifty choice. Now that I'm using the right bobbins, let's see what they have to say this time around...

Hope everyone's crafts went better than mine! :(

PS- Don't forget to sign up for my Tucker Blair GIVEAWAY!!! :)

*All entries must be in by tomorrow at midnight!

PPS- Does anyone know where I can find the blog that was hosting the study guide/group discussion on Debi Pearl's Created to be His Helpmeet? I'm ready to start the study but am having some questions about Chapter 1's study questions. A point in the right direction would be wonderful! :) Thanks! xo.

Tucker Blair Preppy Headband Giveaway!

Raise your hand if you're a prep! (me, me, me!!!)

Raise your hand if you love cute preppy things (me, me, me!!!)

Now, raise your hand if you LOVE TUCKER BLAIR! (oh, me, me, me!!!)

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about my very first giveaway- not only because it's my first giveaway, but because also because of the super cute prize! Taylor over at super cute and super preppy Tucker Blair has so graciously asked me to host a giveaway and of course I couldn't say no. :)

Okay, so here's the 411...

Enter to win a Tucker Blair headband by:

1. Leaving me a comment telling me your choice for your fave TB headband (mine is the yellow crab headband!)


2. For another entry, add me as a follower (don't forget to let me know if you are already one or if you signed up to be one in your comment)


3. For three entries, grab my button (don't forget to link back to this post!), blog about the giveaway and send me the link in your comments section.

All entries must be received by Wednesday, February 25th at midnight (I'm in Texas, so it's Central time, y'all)

And I'll announce a winner on Thursday right before I leave for me trip.

Yay for giveaways! Yay for being preppy! And yay for Tucker Blair! :)

Oh, and be sure to keep up with their blog. I can't wait for them to announce the arrival of their new flip flops. I mean, how stinking cute are these?!

Happy giveaways!

xoxo Y

Back in the saddle

Sadly, Southern Hubby's "Christmas" vacation has come to an end. He returns back to work tomorrow for three days. Which means that I now need to tackle this house that is in desperate need of attention.

SH and I have been pretty much lounging the entire two weeks, and I've been letting the laundry pile up, the carpets go unvacuumed and the bed go unmade. It's disgraceful of me! But after spending almost two months of being in the same house as SH but not really getting to see him, I wanted to soak up as much time with him as I could! We had the best couple of days being lazy, waking up at 11am (I know!!!), napping whenever we wanted and eating dinner at our favorite restaurants. We even went to IHOP at 3am because we were craving their pancakes! I think we reverted back to our old college schedules and we loved every second of it! ;)

But it's back to reality tomorrow...but not for long (K-biz, did you get that reference?!) My dear, sweet Southern Hubby surprised me with a quick trip to Mexico! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am! This is a half Valentine's Day, half 4 year anniversary gift. Isn't he the sweetest!? (Our anniversary is on March 12th, so we're a bit ahead of schedule, but this was the best time to take it for him.) He deserves it so much- he's just been working his little tushie off and he needs some relaxation.

So, posts may be a bit sporadic since we will be packing and getting ready and since I have a monster of a house to clean. I don't want to 'pretty up' my blog for the sake of seeming perfect (remember my post on our laundry room?!) I want to 'keep it real' as PW likes to say, so here are some embarrassing spots of the house- just so you can hold me accountable!

I've been letting the kitchen bar just pile up with stuff. And don't ask me what the color of the fruit in the fruit bowl is supposed to be. Those are really badly decomposed cantaloupes. Ok, they're really oranges but they could be cantaloupes, they've been sitting there that long!

This was the last load of laundry I folded. And it's been sitting here on this table for a week. I kid you not!

Never put my purse up after I switched to the new one my Daddy got me for Valentines Day. And SH never put up his new toiletries bag I got him for the trip. They've been "resting" here.

Southern Hubby decided that right here would be the perfect spot to put his guitar and amp after playing with the neighborhood boys on the patio one night.

And I've got to tackle all these spots and more before we can get to these...

And more importantly, these...

Happy relaxing Sunday, y'all!

xoxo Y

Handing over the control and praying as a couple

One of the most important things that I walked away from at my Weekend to Remember conference last week, was to pray with my husband. In fact, one of the speakers, founder of Family Life, Dennis Rainey, went so far as to say that he thinks that is the secret to staying happily married. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me.

Of course the thought of praying with Southern Hubby had crossed my mind, but I never truly wanted to entertain the idea. For me, praying is such a personal part of one's relationship with Christ. To do so with SH would be leaving myself wide open. Wide open for personal judgement or ridicule.

Would he think I prayed the wrong way? What is the right way to pray? Would he think I was being too causal? Would he think I was praying for stupid things? Did I address God the correct way?

To this private Southern girl, it was a fate worse than being naked in front of an audience. My prayers were between me and God, not me and the world.

All these things raced through my mind that weekend and before I knew it, one of the projects was to pray with your husband. We were to find a private spot, write a letter saying how the weekend has changed us, read the letters to each other, and pray for His strength in making our marriage succeed.

I knew I couldn't get out of it. I knew I had to step away from my comfort zone. So, I told SH that I was scared, that I was nervous and didn't think I could do it. I didn't know how to pray with him and I certainly wasn't opening myself up that way. Being the sweet, sweet man that he is, he pulled me closer to him and grabbed my hands. He assured me that he would lead us in prayer because he was the head of our family. He told me that whenever I felt comfortable, I could jump right in. If that took a week, great, but if it took a year, that would be fine, too. Our first focus was to come to Him in times of joy, sorrow and praise as a married couple. So, we prayed. Right then and there. In public. Just the two of us. Without a doubt it was one of the most intimate moments I have ever spent with my husband.

Relief washed over me as I knew that my precious husband had realized and accepted the role that God had given him in our marriage. He knew it was ok to take charge- that he wasn't being an over-bearing sexist pig by taking the lead. God wanted him to be in command, in control. We aren't made the same. It is not in me to be the leader (although sometimes I am willful and stubborn and act like I am!) God gave that virtue to my husband and it was with great relief that I handed it over. Can you imagine how wonderfully different this world would be in women could just hand control over to their husbands and to God? Why fight it? Why be stubborn?

After the weekend, SH confessed to me that sometimes it can all get to be too much. Having the weight of the world and your family on your shoulders is a lot of stress, no doubt. But the speakers told them that it was okay- God had designed me to be workhorses. He designed them to withstand the pressures and through His amazing grace come out victorious. It was a relief to him to hear that he was not the only one that felt that way. I think it gave him a much needed boost of confidence. Men are to lead and support the family and women are to help them in doing so. It is okay that we're different. There can't be two cooks in the kitchen without chaos.

Sorry that I jumped around a bit in this post. It is amazing the things I walked away from this weekend. I can't stress enough what a powerful difference it can make in your marriage. And I just want to share them all. I know I can't, that it is something that every couple must experience themselves, but when you are filled with God's divine love, it is hard to keep yourself from shouting it to everyone. :)

I will continue to keep you updated on us praying as a couple. For right now, we are going through a great couple's devotional. We have found it a great way to get our prayers started and to discuss things that matter in our relationship. After I ordered it, I found that you could also register for a daily email to recieve that day's devotional. (Click on 'Register to Subscribe" under Moments with You.)So for those that can't afford it right now, I would suggest you get it that way.

Happy praying!

xoxo Y

Is this acceptable?!

What is wrong with this world when it is okay, no, acceptable to have a teen's website feature seven nude men and a half naked woman?

This story was just shown on my local news and I'm appalled that we are letting corporations get away with this. Gilly Hicks is a company of Abercrombie & Fitch, which doesn't surprise me, as A&F has become known for their risque photo shoots.

Now, before I sound like an old dinosaur, this Southern Housewife once had a closet full of Abercrombie. During my junior and senior years of high school (1998 (my gosh, I'm old!)) and through a lot of my sorority days, that is all that kids wore. Since my taste in clothing has progressed, I've noticed a drastic decline in A&F's marketing campaign. They did not used to be like this back when I shopped there. Not that I would have cared, being the stubborn, know-it-all 19 year old that I was. But now I can recognize that this borders on pornography.

No. I take that back. This is pornography.

My niece is 7 years old and is very proficient with the computer. Of course the only places she goes to online is Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel. But what if a pop up of these naked men suddenly appeared? Would I want my precious niece thinking that this is what our world is like?

And even though I blurred the top picture, I can tell you that this lovely, half-naked young lady is playfully touching the men on either side of her.

Playfully. Touching.

As in, "It's OK to be a teen and touch a grown man's behind. No one objects, so it must be fine."

Children and teens who frequent websites like these begin to think that this is the norm. They become desensitized to images of nudity and promiscuity. Pretty soon, sex is no big deal. It's something they show on TV, and in movies, and at the place where we buy our clothes.

I don't have children, and I don't mean to come off as an uptight fuddy-duddy, but I am an observer of this world, and I just don't like what I see sometimes. I'm beginning to think the world has gone mad, and that Americans are right behind it. I guess that's what happens when you cross over that magical age of 25 and every other sentence out of your mouth is, "Why are those boy's jeans so darn tight?!" or "Do they have to play their awful music so loudly?" You become more aware of what is right and what is painfully wrong. (And I think you get just a smidge more cranky!)

If you feel compelled to write this company, as I have, and plead with them to get this trash off the Internet, or in the very least, make sure their is some parental warning that pops up before they can view, click here and go to "contact us":

I would hope and pray that they listen to concerned parents. (After all, it is with the parent's money that these children are buying these clothes.) But I won't hold my breath. After all, this is the same company that peddles this...

in their children's clothing line.

sweet henry

Hi everyone,

We all know the power of prayer in numbers. We've seen what many women's uplifting words to the Lord have done for Baby Harper, and I'd love to see the same happen for my wonderful friend, Kappa Prep's sweet little cousin, Henry.

Recently, while on a skiing vacation with his church, Henry was badly injured from a fall when he was snowboarding. He suffered a head injury on the left side of his head and this has caused bleeding on the right side of his brain. Similar to a stroke, the opposite side of his body has been affected. He has deficits on the left side of his body, especially his left arm and hand. Henry is in a drug induced coma and is on a ventilator. The doctors hope to awaken Henry and remove the ventilator in the next day or so.

This sweet boy is only 13. He has so many more wonderful years to look forward to. Ladies, please uplift him in prayer. The family does not really know much about the long term effects of what this injury will do to him permanently but I know they would just love to see him healthy again. Let us pray that His will be done.

And please copy Henry's button onto your blog so that other bloggers can begin to pray for Henry, too. There is power in numbers! Please link it to Kappa Prep's site (http://www.kappaprep.blogspot.com/) so that readers can stay updated on his condition. Thank you ladies!

Happy thoughts!

xoxo Y

Crafty Tuesdays: February 17, 2009

Welcome to Crafty Tuesdays, y'all! I'm so glad you could join me again. Y

As most of y'all know, this past week has been a doozy. Last minute trips and a small spike in shoppe sales caused much chaos over at the Southern house, so crafts went on the back burner. So, I decided to highlight some of my past favorite crafting. These two bags were made in the last couple years- one when I was a beginning sewer, so of course they aren't the most complex but I hope to get better.

My first bag was crafted after this adorable tote! It is from Pink Lemonade Boutique. Lisa's purses and totes are amazing and she pays so much attention to detail. I just loved the simple look of this birdy tote. I'm a sucker for birds, so I knew I had to make this!

I had recently made a a pleated linen bag and decided that it was just a bit too simple. It needed a cute bird outline that matched the interior of the bag.

Since this one had been given away as a gift, I got to work making another one!

And voila!

Did you know how hard it was to press linen on a bag!? ;) I loved the way it turned out. And it was the very first thing I had made using my new Viking, so I loved it all the more. I was sucker and ended up giving this one to my little sister, so I have yet to carry a purse that I made!

The next bag came about after a summer long obsession with going to the library. Southern Hubby and I went several times a week during those months and sometimes walked out with armfuls of movies, books and CDs. I knew I needed a bag to carry everything but I didn't want to use a plastic grocery bag time after time. How wasteful! So, my library tote was born! I'm not a fan of the print anymore, so I think it's time for a new one...

By the way, dear readers, visit your local library. Not only is it a good way to save money on books, movies and music, but more importantly you are recycling. Did you know that?! When at all possible, I try to buy used on Amazon or Half Price. I hate, hate buying new. Recycle, people!

There you have it! Now, let's see yours!

It really was!

Hello lovelies!

Thank you so much for your uplifting words and comments about both the weekend and our wedding pictures. (Yes, those were us! They were taken by our WONDERFULLY TALENTED photographer- Marcus Revilla.) It definitely was a weekend to remember!

There really aren't any words to describe the weekend. I try with 'amazing,' and 'fabulous,' but they really don't capture it all. All I can say, is that you must go. It doesn't matter if your marriage is the best it has ever been, or if your days away from signing your divorce papers- it will change your life and your marriage. There were couples there that were married 50+ years, one that was married for 5 days, and one that was actually getting married at the hotel right after the "Marriage After Hours" talk (the ahem, sex talk.) We all got a good chuckle at that one!

The conference doesn't come cheaply, especially if you have to stay in a hotel for the weekend, it it was worth every penny. Make this be your anniversary gift. Ask for a gift certificate for Christmas. Do what you can, cause it's worth it. :)

I didn't get to take many pictures at all because we didn't have much time between sessions, so I'll post what I did take. I'm really mad at myself for not taking more pictures of the hotel as it was beautiful! (But the room itself was horrible! Thin, thin walls, an open water bottle my sweet hubby drank out of by accident, bad customer service, horrible valet service, and a few more. For me, it was not worth the hefty price tag the hotel likes to charge.)

Here are just a couple of images I snapped...

Heading up the escalators to the conference room- how gorgeous are those ceilings!? Heading down the glass elevators to the meeting.

This was the Riverwalk Cafe, a restaurant inside the hotel. I was so amazed how much this mimicked actual Riverwalk in San Antonio. It was simply breathtaking, the attention to detail.

The lobby area outside the convention rooms.

Even though we don't normally celebrate Valentine's Day, we did exchange gifts this year because it was a special year with the weekend. Sweet Southern Hubby bought some me accessories for my newest passion- photography. He got me a very cool backpack so that I can carry my camera and accouterments easily when traveling. I'm sure I'll look like a touristy dork, but oh well. He also got me an external flash that I've been wanting. Now I just need to learn how to use it!

But the best thing he got me was many, many little Valentine's that he hid all over throughout the whole weekend. I got them in my makeup bag, in the shower, on my pillow, throughout the workbook I was given to work on by the convention, in my pockets, on my seats, and I found this one in my workout shoes yesterday. :) He put them in places that I have no idea how he did it! He has good slide of hand, my hubby. On each one, he had written one thing he loved about me- even something about me being cranky in the morning. Crazy man.

Hope everyone had a wonderfully romantic weekend! Don't forget about Crafty Tuesdays tomorrow, so get cracking!

Happy Monday!

xoxo Y

Off to the Weekend to Remember...

Tonight we head to Grapevine, Texas to the Weekend to Remember at the Gaylord Texan! I'm so excited about it! Tonight we have two sessions, Session 1 - Why Marriages Fail: Identify and understand the 5 threats to marriage and Session 2 - Can We Talk?: Discuss factors that make communication difficult as well as tips on how to listen and express yourself well with your spouse during the weekend.

Sounds like a wonderful way to kick off a romantic weekend with Southern Hubby!

With our 4th year anniversary coming up on March 12th, I can't think of a better way celebrate our marriage and tighten our bond.

I ask that you pray for us. Pray that God opens up our hearts to what they are teaching us. Pray that we open our ears to listening to God's word. And pray that our marriage is strengthened by attending this conference and by His love for us.

I'll be back on Monday with plenty of things to gab about, I'm sure! I hope to also be able to share what I've learned, so that as wives and helpmeets, we can all apply it to our marriages.

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!!
xoxo Y

Who Is Your Comforter?

When I saw the title for Homemakers By Choice radio show I listened to this morning, my mind immediately went to the big, soft, comfy down blanket I have on my bed. But of course, that is not what Donna was referring to.

"Who is your comforter?" she asked.

And when I ran down the list of things that I run to when I'm troubled, sad, overwhelmed and in need of joy, I was disheartened.

Southern Housewife's List of Comforting Joys: shopping eating confiding in my girlfriends writing everything down so I feel I am in control of things napping

My sweet Lord was nowhere on my list.

I'm so saddened to say that when troubling times come, it is shops that I run to; it is my soft bed that lets me sleep away my worries. And I'm ashamed to admit, not once did I consider going to Him. But this is what it is for me. For others out there, there are many other sins- abusing alcohol, promiscuity, drugs, gambling. There are so many things that we put before God. And there are even things that do not come with the shock factor- the Internet, spending time with friends, indulging in reading, food, television, following in celebrity gossip. I am the first to admit that I've done all of those- I don't know how long I could go without checking my email or Facebook; I'm guilty of letting days pass on the couch while my house duties are neglected; I used to be an avid reader of the vile Perez Hilton and other celeb gossip sites. But these things took me further away from God's love and I realize that now. Sure, they were fun, indulgent and made me laugh, but were they thing things that He wanted me to delight in?

The three things I struggle with most are shopping, the Internet, and food. I am considering doing a fast for one of these or giving one up for Lent this year. I don't feel strong enough, but I know it can be done.

Because He should be first on my list. A cabinet full of candles is not what makes my life joyful. New purses do not give me hope, or love me unconditionally. In fact, things are not to be worshipped. Not that I have my shoe collection on an altar, but material things bring me more joy than they should. I've known it all along. This isn't anything that is new to me and it is something I struggle with daily. I don't know how much progress I have made, but at least I'm aware of it and I'm aware of the dangers that come with it.

And how foolish of me to think that writing things down, making listings and checking to do's off gives me more control over my life! I can check a million things off my lists, but that does not put me in control of my life. Only God has that power. So why does it comfort me? I think as humans, we need to feel we have some power and control in our lives. I think it's natural to feel that way as we are born imperfect. It is only when we do not yield to His will that we sin.

I need to remember that it is okay to buy something that puts a smile on my face. It is okay to call a friend and be a list maker. But those things are NOT what makes me happy. Only a relationship with God can and will bring true happiness. I definitely have my work cut out for me, but slowly I will get there. With His divine help, there will only be one thing on my list of comforting joys- God.

"Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will."

- Romans 12:2

Better late than never... and this and that

THIS:

Well, I'm late for Homemaker Haven/Happy Home Mondays but I really love this carnival and I love supporting it, so I'm going to post it mid week.

The Southern Housewife's Goals for February 9th-13th:

1. I am still trying to get into the groove of my morning routine. This is what I'm doing so far and I'm really enjoying it:

Bible Reading- I am trying to read the Bible every day but as I said before, I won't be held to the year deadline. After I read my assigned passages, I try to just sit still and think about it for 15 minutes so I can absorb what I have just read and apply the readings to my life.

I did a bit of research, and from what I read, it is better not to go through the Bible from page 1 until the end. (Can anyone confirm this?) Since it is not in chronological order, I found a very easy Bible Reading Plan for Beginners online and this is what I'm choosing to do. (Has anyone completed this plan? I'd love to hear thoughts.) I still support City on a Hill's Bible Reading Challenge, so I'll keep the button up.

Homemakers By Choice- Each morning I listen to Donna and friends talk about things that apply to homemakers like me. I'm loving it! I enjoy listening to her and her daughter Annisa. I always have my journal and pen in hand to write down anything I find important. They recently went over the discipline of fasting, and it got me thinking about working on this.

If you haven't heard one of her podcasts yet, I highly encourage you to check it out. They aren't long- anywhere from 20-30 minutes so it goes hand in hand with a nice cup of coffee or tea. :) Please check their website out as well.

2. I want to clean out my refrigerator. It needs it. It stinks. It's gross. That's all I'm gonna say about that one. Look for before and after pictures.....well, maybe.

THAT:

When I first started my adventures in homemaking, I was really hoping for a magazine that was uplifting as well as offered some great tips on recipes, meal planning, decor, time management, and all the other things that we homemakers struggle with.

I don't know how it happened, but I came across Homemakers magazine a couple months ago. I don't have to tell you how excited I was! I immediately looked for a way to subscribe to the magazine, but saw that this was a Canadian magazine. :( Back then, I couldn't find a way for them to send their mags to the US. Fortunately, I kept checking back every so often and today was my lucky day! They finally started spreading some Homemakers love to us. :)

If you want to subscribe, sign up via this link. For some reason, when I tried signing up using the one on their front page, it lead me to a total of $30. But when I tried the other way, by going into their 'store', it gave me the advertised price of 9 issues for $9.95- a steal! I'll let you know if I encounter any problems with doing it this way.

And lastly, I was hoping we could all pray for those families who lost their homes and loved ones yesterday in Oklahoma. A lot of Texas got the ugly leftovers from the weather but thankfully, no tornadoes. Unfortunately, it was reported as of last night, that there are already 3 confirmed deaths and 20+ injuries. Please pray that God is watching out for them. Pray that they are finding comfort in Him right now and listening for any messages or lessons he may be teaching them using this situation. Thanks guys.

Happy fridge cleaning and magazine reading!!

xoxo Y

Introducing Crafty Tuesdays!

Hello my lovelies!!!! I'm so excited to welcome y'all to my very first Crafty Tuesdays! Here you will find the rules for entering as well as other important info on participating.

First, let's start off with the banners. I made a few and just flat out couldn't figure which one I liked, so I'm just going to share all of them and you can pick whichever you'd like or you can rotate like I probably will. The one that shows the Proverbs quote is probably my favorite but I love cutesier ones, too. I guess just pick the one that's speaking to you that particular Tuesday. :)

Calling all craftonistas! Would you like to be able to post a picture of something amazing you accomplished this weekend? Do you want to show others that big ball of tangled knitting yarn in the hopes that someone out there may have seen what you did wrong and help you correct it? Are you looking for just a bit of inspiration or encouragement for any crafting you had in mind? Then you are at the right place, sweets! So, take the dust cover off the sewing machine, unravel your old knitting yarn that's been the cat's toy lately, or get that scrapbooking table organized. (We all know you scrapping paper-a-holics have piles on piles of cute paper everywhere!) And join us each Tuesday for Crafty Tuesdays!

The Easy-Peasy Guidelines

The Crafty Tuesday meme will meet here at Her Southern Charm every Tuesday. In order to take part in it, you must:

• Post a picture of something you have created (not your aunt, uncle, hubby or kiddo). The more pictures, the better!
• Write a few words on why you made this particular item. Was it a birthday present? Something that came out of a bored Wednesday night?
• You can, but do NOT have to, make a tutorial or give directions to show others what you did. (Again, this is not a requirement but may save you some time, cause if it's super cool, you know you're gonna get flooded with emails!
• Post one of the supplied headers at the beginning of your post. You can stay with the same one, or rotate them all. It's up to you.
• Crafts can fall under so many headings- sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidering, felting, painting, basket making, floral decor, making decorations for your home, photography, scrapbooking, cake designing, jewelry making, whew! There are many crafts out there, so the sky is the limit. If you were creative, inspired, and made the item yourself, then it qualifies!
• Once a month, I'm thinking about having a challenge where I throw out a word, phrase or picture, and letting you, the designer, come up with something inspired by the word. How fun would that be?!

The Easy Peasy Rules

• As a courtesy, please mention my blog and link back to the main page of my blog http://www.hersoutherncharm.blogspot.com/. Just think of it as the hostess gift you take when you attend those fabulous Southern parties! It's also nice to the other readers as they will know where to join in the fun!
• Do not use this meme as a way to sell your merchandise. All direct sales links will be removed immediately.
• Copy the "permalink" ONLY from your "Crafty Tuesday" post, not the link to the front page of your blog. (To do this, click on the little time date stamp on the bottom of your post. It will pull up that particular post and you can cut and paste its link into Mr. Linky back here.) This will make it much easier for others to find it on your blog.
• Come back here and add your permalink to my Mister Linky box. Make sure you are putting it in the correct box. Don't switch the names with links.
• NOTE: Inappropriate links, links to things you sell, links to inappropriate blogs, etc. will be removed per my discretion.

For this week, if you want to participate but haven't made anything just quite yet, then show us your craft space. Where do you work? Are you lucky enough to have a dedicated craft room, or are your materials scattered across the family dining room table every day but Thanksgiving and Christmas? Show us where you come up with your ideas and creations! We'd love to see them!

My entry for this week is a Valentine's Day shirt I embellished for my niece. First I bought a long sleeve pink shirt from Tarjay and got to work choosing which colors I thought were best. I originally intended only to do the circles and hearts and maybe a ribbon, but loved the outline heart that developed when I cut a smaller one from the same fabric, so I used it instead of trashing it.

I decided to go with the ribbon for sure since it needed some sort of umph. But I think I went too far with the embroidery. I hand embroidered Happy Valentines Day and I really did not like the way it came out but I was too tired to sit there and unstitch the whole thing. Oh well, it put a toothless smile on my niece's sweet face when I gave it to her yesterday. (She just lost her front two and is struggling with some words. It's so adorable!

And there you have it ladies! Can't wait to see what cool things y'all have in store for me!

Happy creating! Y
xoxo

A Weekend to Remember

Folks, unfortunately I can't participate in Homemaker Haven Mondays or Happy Home Mondays this week. (I will be back to it next Monday though.) I've got a ton going on for the next couple days AND Southern Hubby and I have decided at the last minute that we are going to get away for the weekend! We will be traveling to the Gaylord Texan to attend FamilyLife's a Weekend to Remember. And I am SO darn excited to attend, I can't even begin to tell you!

We had our neighbors over for dinner Saturday and they mentioned they were going and told us we should attend, too. As soon as I looked up what it was all about, I emailed the link to Southern Hubby and he thought is sounded awesome, too! So we're packing our bags and headed to Grapevine, Texas. We've been to the Gaylord Texan for Christmas before, but we've never stayed there. (PS- if you're near the area, it's gorgeous during Christmas time!) So, I'm really looking forward to staying there since it's such a beautiful hotel.

How fitting to have a marriage enriching retreat over Valentine's weekend? We normally don't put too much thought into the 14th and like to do our own special day after the hoopla of it all is over, but we just couldn't pass this opportunity up. I hope this conference stops in an area near you so that you can take advantage of it. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity to learn more about His design for a happy marriage that will last for a lifetime- not just until things get tough. Oh, and for those readers who are engaged, you can attend, too! They break you up to talk to topics specific to those who are about to enter marriage.

Oh! And I also wanted to give those that are participating in tomorrow's first Crafty Tuesdays the buttons, just in case you missed them. Please feel free to snag them and put them on your blogs to show your participation and to pass the word on. More participants, more inspiration and ideas! ;)

I'll be designing the header tonight so you can post it above your entries.

Talk to you sweetie poos later!

Happy hubby lovin'!

xoxo Y