intention.

remember the picture i posted a few weeks ago?



i have to say, i haven't been holding up to

my end of the little bargin i had with myself & year twenty-three.

for about a week i ate healthy, went to the gym & cleaned up after myself..

but life got busy again-

so that went right out the window.

today i went to visit my teamers,
(girls i played soccer w during college)

& it felt like old times- i sure do miss being out on the field.

my coach asked my friend melissa & i to give some words of wisdom

& i immediately thought- oh great, i need wisdom.

can i google that real quick?

anyways, melissa is living in England, playing soccer for a professional team-

doing things..

i on the other hand am living in lakeland, working at Geico & fat.

(i've got good things going for me,

i'm being a small amount sarcastic here to get my point across.)

& within about 2 seconds the word -intention- came to my mind.

i wanted so badly to tell each of the girls, GIVE IT YOUR ALL.

every day on the field,

every day in the classroom,

every day in chapel,

with God,

with friends,

with family,

in relationships,

in LIFE.

however, i got emotional & side tracked.

i partially blacked out during my "speech" however i remember stating
"now i've got a man living with me who eats a lot..."
FOR REAL? lol

but if i could take one thing & staple it to those bright-eyed girls beautiful lives-

it would be, be intentional.

Coach then came after me & said what I wanted to say,

which was- you get out of life what you put into it.

(thanks coach!)

So that's where i'm at,

i honestly feel like i'm getting out of life what i'm putting in it right now.

 -which is a whole lot of half finished projects.

&& with that, i'd like to say that i'm going to complete a half finished project,

but i'm not.

i'm going to sleep.

i dont do it enough & Gabe's not home til late,

so i want to take over the entire bed.

xox

wedding do's & doNOTs

I have a few weddings coming up & several friends that just got engaged

so i've been wanting to blog about some do's & doNOTs of wedding season.

#1) it IS about the Bride&Groom,

whether it's wedding day, bridal showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties-

make it about the Bride & Groom.

this is the day that they're going to remember forever,

odds are- you wont.

compliment the Bride, whether it's on her special day, or a shower.

again it's not about how good YOUR hair or makeup looks, make HER feel good.

give the Groom words of affirmation, let him know he's making the right decision

..if you think he is ;)

#2) RSVP correct & on time.

nothing's more annoying then 2 weeks before your wedding

having to call people that you've reached out & invited to your special day.

so give the couple (&their vendors) some consideration & rsvp.

it's really that simple.

if you can go, say yes & if you can't, say no.

#3) don't assume!!

don't assume when it comes to being in the bridal party and/or being invited,

this can leave for awkward converstaions & situations.

just be patient :)

#4) don't be cheap.

while we're in a recession-
remember, they're about to fork over $$ for you to eat, drink & be merry.

don't be cheap & skip out on the gift.

atleast look at it this way-

if you were going out for the night for dinner & drinks,

you'd spend atleast $25.. get a giftcard.
&& if you REALLY can't afford a gift-
don't skip out on the card for fear of looking cheap.
the couple will appreciate you coming & the thought behind the card!

#5) don't be late!

the last thing a bride wants is everyone to be looking at YOU,

because you're trying to sneak in the back doors & making a noisy mess.

if you're late (because life happens),
be quiet & watch through the window 

 until there's a suitable time to sneak in

& at that time politely sit in the back row, dont go prancing up the aisle.

#6) dress accordingly..

in most cases it's clear what the attire should be,

if you're unsure- ask a member of the brial party.

don't show up in a tux when the groomsmen are wearing kakhi's,

don't wear a strappy summer dress when it's a night time affair.

& ladies: don't wear white. dont wear cream. dont wear beige.

just dont.

your time will come (if it hasn't already), dont look desperate for attention.

#7) act accordingly-

don't be "that guy/girl" who gets smashed & makes a fool.

jumping in lakes, oceans, ponds is not acceptable
(unless you're Matt Hester.)

some weddings are more casual & fun,

while others are a little bit more formal & reserved.

act accordingly.

#8) be gracious!

make sure you tell the bride/groom thank you,

as well as their parents.

this special day took a lot of hard work- be grateful.

i was trying to come up with 10, but i think 8 does it just right.

so remember that as wedding season is approaching.

no go & fill out that RSVP you've been putting aside!

*all thoughts & opinions displayed in this post are not meant to hurt anyones feelings,

so just don't go there.

winning wednesday!

I would classify today as "winning"

the amount of crafting accomplishments i've crossed off my to-do list are at an all time high!

just a few snap shots-



repainted my cheveron canvas wall, not finished yet-
but so much better than where it was..



finished my shelves & iloveyou sign

started the headboard creation for our bed,
dontcha love our new bedspread?!

That's all i've got for today, i'm finishing up a little table i've been putting aside for months

&& then Gabe & I are headed to the mall for some returns & purchases.

perfecto day!

work tomorrow & then i'm off friday/saturday.

CANT GET ENOUGH.

also wanna give a shout out to my husband,

he held his first practice as a pitching coach today!!

xox

update :)

This week has been really busy,
i've already put in a good 30 hours answering phones.

i've found myself ending personal phone calls with my salutation:
"& since we spoke,
you may get a survey in the mail asking you to rate my service,
again my name is teressa-
is there anything else i can do to insure excellent responses?"

FOR REAL?

can we say vaca..

Anyways, I wanted to do a quick picture post of the beautiful little night stand i created!

terrible picture, but it's literally my little baby!

i'll put it in the bedroom & post pictures shortly

i'm really proud of myself for this guy!

that's all i've got. not much of anything, but a craft update!

xox

THIS IS THE LAST FRIDAY..

that i will EVER work.

or atleast as long as i keep my new schedule.

instead of working wed-sat,
i'll now be working sun-tues & thur.

yep, you read it- i'll have off wednesday, friday AND saturday.

this can only mean a few things..

couponing when the sales start on Wednesdays

yard sales on Friday & Saturday..





& having a life again, since i'm able to do things on the weekends with friends!





So that's that.
off i go to finish my LAST friday.

hopefully tomorrow i'll have lots & lots of pictures of yard sale scores.

xox

top o' the morning to ya.

(sounded pretty Irish didn't it?!)

i thought so..

I told yall i was going to be a better blogger!

but yall have to promise to be patient with me

&& leave LOTS of comments :)

(& for those of you who can't leave comments,

i.e. my aunts- i'll forgive you.)

Just time for a few short pictures today,

time to get ready for work.

i adore this collage..
i think i've got the perrrrfect place for this!

love the bottles here,
Gabe will tell you- i NEVER throw a bottle out
(so i've got the perfect collection)

a bird cage filled w books + vintage tags
= perfect combo.

seriously OBSESSED with rod & decorations hanging.
so simple + perfect.

So that's what I've got for you today.

Maybe tomorrow i'll post some pics of a few apartment crafts.

Catch yall on the flipside.

xox

i'm finally back.

I'm making a slightly irrational decision, but never the less, a FIRM decision, i.am.back.

i've got to start sooner or later & i'm thinking sooner is better.
i've been going crazy with crafts for the new apartment,
so i need a place to show them off!

I told myself, for year 23- i'm going to live with intention.

year 22 was interesting, full of ups&downs, i found myself sick- a lot.

i've decided that 23 will be different.

i'm giving 100% this year towards being happy, healthy & committed

(in all aspects of life)

perfectly fitting for this post.



So that's that, bloggers.
Love you guys

have a great night.

xox
GodisLove

cha-ching.

It's been awhile since I've posted & all with VERY good reason.
Gabe & I ended up staying in Lakeland, but moving to a different apartment!

It's a much bigger apartment, but it's a little bit older-

over all, I like it very much.

There are some iffy things, like no pantry, older appliances & random lighting fixtures,
however it's much more spacious, we've got PLENTY of room for my crafting
& we're saving $130 a month on rent.

The apartment is still in boxes & things aren't quite where I want them to be yet.
BUT, I've taken on a new hobby..

COUPONING!

I want to post some pictures of my savings today!!

V8 Splash - $3.39 each (BOGO $2/1)
Gatorade - $1.50 each (.50c off)
Crunchy Nut - $4.09 each ($2/1 & $1/1)
Pop.Tarts - $2.59 (BOGO & $1/3)
Blush - $4.79 ($1.50/1 & $1/1)
2nd Grade School Donation Bag - $7.81
$25 giftcard for bringing new prescription
$5 off $20 purchase
Total value of items from Publix - $49.7
Total amount spent at Publix - .95c



Additional Savings:
Skippy Peanut Butter - $2.29 each ($1/1)
Vitamin Water - $.88 each ($1/3)
Dove Shampoo - $4.99 ($1/1 & get 1 conditioning treatment free)
Dove Body Wash - $4.24 (on clearance & $1.25/1)
Axe Body Wash - $3.25 (BOGO)
Degree Deodorant - .97c ($1/1)
Dove Deodorant - $4.99 (Buy 1 men's, get 1 womans free & $1/1)
Pumpkin Pancakes - $2.02 - clearance
Almonds - $5.99 (BOGO & $1.50/2)
Total value of items from Target - $47.26
Total Amount I spent at Target - $25.87

Total Value of Items - $104.25
Total Amount I Spent - $32.61
Total Savings - $71.64

I think I did a pretty dang good job if you ask me!
Now I need to go put away all of my goodies..
Even though they look so pretty staged on my floor.

Maybe tomorrow things will get done in the apartment & I'll post some pics!

Also, I plan to be a great blogger starting later in August.

I've got plenty to post about!

love.

goodmorning.bloggies :)
how are we doing today?!

i've decided to skip the morning workout today,

have to be into work early- so it just wasn't gunna happen.

plus, i've got something HUGE weighing on my heart & i need to let it out.
Gabe got a job offer in New.York.

which for any of you that are geographically challanged-

is VERY far away from Florida.

most likely, i can transfer to Geico so that takes care of my job..

but the thought of packing up & moving cross country scares the little pants off me.

here are some pro's to moving:

*it's a seriously awesome job opportunity
*we will both be much closer to our families

*i'm closer to the city, where marketing jobs are easier to come by

*i do love the seasons & you dont get much of that down here.

here are some con's to moving:

*it's risky to move across the country & not know if he'll like the job

*moving is VERY expensive

*i'm leaving all of my college friends behind

*i'm waiting to hear on a job offer in DC for a marketing position

oh the decisions!! off I go to pray about it, because just thinking about it makes my head want to explode.. for those of you who pray- please shoot one up for us during this hard decision making time. & for those of you who don't, flip a coin for us or something. we need some serious wise imput.

GodisLove,
Mrs.Grinder.

could this be Gabe in the near future?!

day3.

Today I helped my dear friend Tiffany organize her apartment/life & it was very refreshing.

who would think someone that pretty could have SO MUCH baggage ;)

So after helping her sort through the piles of stuff that 4 years of college has left her with, I've realized that it's time for me to do the same.
With the move, I think it's time to get rid of the things that I only, sort-of, like & only keep the things that i LOVE & cant.live.with.out.

love this form of organizing/decorating
bc it's still pretty, but totally functional.

again, pretty bookcases but i LOVE the ladder
i want a vintage one to put blankets on!

how creative for crafting,
i love the "tools" hanging from the walls.

i've always wanted a place to walk in & hang jackets right on the wall.
very functional & perfect looking.



& upon researching on apartment.therapy i found a list of helpful tips when it comes to moving.

the list starts from 8weeks before you move & we're at 3weeks.

looks like i've got some catching up todo!

whoops!

I'm going to make lemon-artichoke chicken for dinner with strawberry brussle sprouts.

deeeeeeee-lish.

LOVE,
Mrs.Grinder.

day2.

Today has been another day filled with nothing much, which I'm pretty okay with. I didn't get out of bed until late & then Gabe & I went to Target to use some COUPONS!

Seriously, I got such a high from saving $16.
You wouldn't think that'd make a big deal, but it did!

For dinner I made -sloppy joes- & peach/onion salad.

Most people think of sloppy joes as a last minute resort, but I was actually REALLY excited to make them. Growing up we never ate anything that was, how do you say this.. normal? So I get excited to eat things that other people find mundane.

I've spent the last few hours making picture frames for both myself, and my friends as house warming gifts for some of my friends & my husband has JUST walked in the door from a night of work- so I'm going to have to wrap this up!

Some pictures that are serving as inspiration for our new apartment:

That's all until tomorrow, I'll post some pics of my recent crafts.

GodisLove,
MrsGrinder

I'm baaaaaaaaaack!

Well, after a rough few weeks off of again, on again. The blog & I have decided to give it a second shot.

Since the breakup, I've been spending my time going to the gym, working & sleeping- very exotic, I know.

Even though I haven't been blogging myself, I've been spending some time reading up on other blogs & crafting away for our new apartment!

One of my favorite blogs of my entire life is cupcakes&cashmere & I literally check her blog daily.
& by daily i might mean hourly.

Recently Emily posted about her Mermaid Nail tutorail, which you can find here & the inspiration has been spreading like wild fire.

I figured it was time for me to give it a try & here's what I came up with:

not the best pic, but i already had my nails painted coral
so i just went with the gold glitter!


Some other combos that I came up with:

would have been PERFECT for the 4th, shame on me.

can't really tell but the glitter is green, perfect Watermelon combo!

this is what i'm rockin for my weekend!



And a quick shot of my nailpolish collection, I think it's safe to say that I purchase polish every time I stop by Forever21.

love these pastel shades..

I love all the colors!

Okay, that's what I've got for you today. I have off the next 3 days so I'll be working on some posts!
I'm also going to link up to some parties this week with my new crafts!

GodisLove,
Mrs.Grinder

breakup..

Sorry for my lack of posts.. I've been going through a rough breakup season.
First it was with my blog, due to the sucky-ness of blogger,

second was with my hot gluegun.
(& i'll tell you, that was a sticky one..)

I had been feeling like my posts were becoming more of a chore than an alternative stress reliever so I decided to just stop. But when the blogging stopped, the crafting was still in full swing. That was until the second breakup, with my gluegun.

A few people had asked me for a tutorial for the lamp that I made recently, so I figured I'd do a nice little tutorial for my first post back. Welp, that's what I get for thinking, lead to one of the worst breakups of my life. I literally stuck my left ring finger DIRECTLY into a freshly squeezed line of VERY VERY HOT glue. (I now see why they offer low & hi temp guns..)

After the finger was insterted into the glue, lots of screaming, laughing then crying followed. I cursed at the glue gun & told it I was DONE. So, sorry Jen.. The tutorial will have to wait, my finger is currently bandaged up & refuses to go ANYWHERE near anything that has the name HOT in it.

Until then, I figured I'd leave a few pictures for aesthetic purposes.

both my supervisor & sisterinlaw are pregnant..
PERFECT bridal shower if it's a GiRL!

i'm looking for the perfect word to put above our bed,
Dream is one of the top candidates!

what a perfect picture for the "first night of summer"
i wish i could be in this picture.

So that's that. Check in soon.. The blog & I are in the trying to "work things out".. It's looking pretty good.

GodisLove,
Mrs.Grinder.

snapshot!

I've been checking projects off my "to-do list" lately, but the reason I've yet to upload them is simple.
My camera is in my car.

So until I either remember to bring my camera up, or am not too lazy to walk down to the car when I do remember, you'll have to be patient!

I posted a picture of my most recent lamp today on my facebook/twitter.

crackle paint, love it.

I got a few different requests for how I made the base and also the shade, so I'm going to do seperate tutorial posts soon! I'm bad at doing tutorial posts because I get so excited during projects that I forget to take pictures!!

Anyways, tomorrow's going to be a great day.. we are going to be VERY productive.

GodisLove,
Mrs.Grinder

so excited..

((I'm so excited.. & I just can't hide it!))

Gabe & I were visiting my parents last weekend, went with 1 suitcase.. left with 4. Can someone tell me how that happens? I took some pictures that I've yet to upload because life is life, but the weekend was basically filled with eating food, shopping & eating more food. There's just something about my family, all we do is eat together.

Anyways, the suitcases that we came back with were filled with plenty of goodies such as new clothing, my jewelry making goods & a sandwich press.

A typical girl would be most excited about the picture below coming back with her:

brand new, Michael Kors watch..
such a beaut.

However, I think my excitement is equally shared with bringing the object below home:

my little precious Interlude 435.



I spent about an hour last night trying to remember how to use it,

but IM SERIOUSLY SO EXCITED TO HAVE IT BACK!

I've already got the first project picked out, I hope it's not going to be too hard..

this beautiful little poof, found at design.sponge

Off I go to pick out the color scheme for my beauty.

GodisLove,
Mrs.Grinder.

ain't nothin but blue skies, baby.

I have been in constant thought about what our apartment is going to look like & something that has really been on my mind is our living room. When we first moved down here we were finding that couches were REALLY expensive & we didn't want to blow $700 for one little piece of furniture.

I.e. our couch:



$300ish from Ikea

it's just okay. it's a dark purple, brown color. it's pretty comfy, but nothing fabulous!

So I've been looking for ways that we can spruce it up, and I came across this:

Kinda boring, sorta scary that it's WHITE.. not sure how long it'd be kept that way! but it's only $50, when the colored covers are as much as the couch cost!

So we have 2 options:

Keep it white, but add blue trim.

OR:

Dye it a color & I'm LOVING this dark grey.

So that's what is on my mind these days! Any of your opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Off I go to get ready for work. I'm so looking forward to saying,
"Thank you for calling Geico.
My name is Teressa Grinder & I'm happy to help you.
Can I have your policy number?",

about 100 times.

GodisLove,
Mrs.Grinder.

HuRR TRENDz.

I will say that one of the qualities I have to own up to would be my indecisive-ness, if that's even a word. Before going to college, my mom never let me change my hair, so when I went to college that was the FIRST thing I started wreaking havoc on. And that continued for the next four years. Pictures below to prove it..

perm & dark..

blonde with bangs

blonder with extensions

blonde but natural length

 dark brown

highlights in the brown, on my way back to blonde

blonde with extensions

I had more pictures to put on, proving that I've literally gone from every length & color in the books, but my computer has a mind of its own & doesn't want to open amy more files.

Anyways, the MAIN point of the story is this.. I found the blog my.yellow.sandbox. & I'm regretting recently cutting all my hair off. (To get an idea you can see my profile picture on my blog..) I just found Abby's blog & liteally I'm OBSESSED! Right now she's doing a different hair style, every day, COMPELETE with tutorials, for 30 days. Seriously, this is amazing! It's going to challenge me to actually do something with my locks before I go into work! 

So, I'm not sure what you're doing here still, get on over to her blog & check out the amazing tutorials. If I still had long hair I'd be rocking DAY 18, the HAIRbow. Seriously Abby, this is amazing. You have BEAUTIFUL hair & I'm loving your blog! Thanks for inspiring me!!

Off I go to work on some more projects for our new apartment!

GodisLove,
Mrs.Grinder