DIY: Date Night Jar

James and I agreed not to exchange presents this year for Valentine's Day, so of course that means I make him something :) That doesn't count as a present... right? I've seen these "Date Night Jars" all over Pinterest and figured I'd try making my own. Most of them use popsicle sticks to put the date ideas on, but I didn't have any and it was snowing so paper worked just fine for me. 

This project was super easy, and I had it done in just a few hours. It was huge hit when he opened it. That was until he dropped it less than 24 hours later and the jar shattered. I guess it's the thought that counts.

Materials used:

• Mason Jar or other clear jar with a lid
• Paper: 3 different colors
• Mod Podge (um... I've most definitely always called this stuff "Modge Podge")
• Sharpies
• Ribbon

I started out by brainstorming different date ideas. Some of them were dates we've been talking about and other came from doing a little online research. I liked the idea of using different colors to represent different date categories.

 Blue: "Stay @ Home Date Ideas"

• Appetizers & Movie Night
• Take Out & Board Games
• Pizza & Italian Movie
• Indoor Picnic
• Wine & Cheese Night
• Movie Night w/ Candy & Popcorn
• Living Room Camp-Out
• Cook a new meal together

Green: "Inexpensive Date Ideas"

• Bowling
• Dessert Only Date
• Hiking 
• Ice Cream Date
• Picnic @ the Park
• Donuts & Coffee
• Food Truck Dinner Date
• Drive-In Movie

Manilla: "Pricey & Planning Date Ideas"

• Progressive Meal
• Wine Tasting
• Staycation
• GA Aquarium
• Weekend away in Nashville
• Day Trip to Serenbe
• Fancy Night Out
• Day Trip to North GA 

I made the jar label using PicMonkey, and then painted on a think layer of Mod Podge on the back and centered it on the jar. 

And that's it! Super easy and I love[d] how it turned out... at least while it lasted!

 

Linking up with Khala, Samantha, Renee, and Jenni

Five on Friday, Vol. 17: Snowed In

Happy Valentine's Day!
I thought about making a Valentine themed post, but I've never been big on decorating for this holiday. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who hate Valentine's Day. In fact, my parents always made sure to make this holiday special regardless of whether or not I was dating someone. The trust is, James and I haven't left the apartment for the past 3 days, so we didn't get to prepare fun details for Valentine's Day this year.
For those of you who don't know the South got hit hard with snow and ice this past week.

So, instead of sharing fun heart shaped goodies, I'm linking up today with Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha to share how we survived being confined to our apartment for 3 straight days.

 

{O N E}

 If it's gonna snow, you've got to embrace it. During work breaks, James and I took some time to venture outside. I haven't pulled my camera out in quite some time, so it felt good to capture everything. That white stuff may cause chaos, but it sure is pretty.

{T W O}

Hot coffee and tea are essential for surviving cold. It wasn't quite as good as the Starbucks barista makes, but thankfully the Verismo gets very close!  Extra warm points for drinking out of a cute mug.

{T H R E E}

Let's be honest, the best part of a snow day is cuddling up on the couch under layers of blankets. When I saw this quote on Tuesday it made me smile. If it's gonna snow we might as well enjoy it :)

I don't know about y'all, but my toes are first to get cold. Cute fun socks are necessary. Even better when Christmas socks get to be reused as snow day socks!

Source

{F O U R}

Good TV shows are key. What else are snow days for? The Olympics were my first choice, but when boring sports were on Criminal Minds was my go to. Love. That. Show.

Source

{F I V E}

Want to know how to make snow days even better? Get Valentine's flowers delivered. My parents annual flower delivery just happened to arrive a day early (major props to the flower shop for delivering flowers in spite of the crazy weather) and they were a welcomed surprise. After 3 days of only seeing white the pretty colors added some excitement. 

I hope you all had a good week and have a great day with your loved ones! James and I are off to celebrate our first married Valentine's Day!

Impatiently Patient

Not yet...

Hold on...

Just a little bit longer...

I can't stand being told to wait. I'm impatient. When I want something I want it now.

Obviously patience is not a virtue I was blessed with, but I feel like it is something God is challenging me with right now. I have prayed for patience and I feel like He is answering that prayer with a stage in life that is challenging me to be patient and put all my trust in Him and His timing.

I've mentioned before that James and I have started house hunting. Y'all, I want a home something bad.  I'm so ready to be out of an apartment and in a house. I'm ready to decorate and make a space our own.

However, so far the house hunting process just hasn't gone our way. We've really liked a few homes, but for one reason or another things just haven't worked out. It's frustrating, disappointing, and disheartening. My mind immediately goes to the negative. "We'll never find a house" "This isn't going to work out" "We'll be in an apartment forever." Admittedly, that's incredibly dramatic especially considering we haven't been looking very long, but there's an example of that all or nothing thinking for you.

I'm so not perfect and sometimes my human nature takes over and my faith gets shaky. I start to want to take control back and put all my trust in myself. I start to turn my back on what I believe to be truth. It doesn't work and it leaves me feeling anxious and lost, but I'm stubborn. Sometimes I need someone or something to rock my world a little bit and bring me out of that dark place. Sometimes I need to be reminded that God's got this. Sometimes I need to pray for patience and ask for God's help and guidance.

These verses from Psalms 37 have been on my heart a lot lately and I can't help but find comfortable in these words:

Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. I don't think that if I pray  God will give me everything I want. However, I do believe that if I place God at the center of my heart and my world He will align my desires with His greater plan. How awesome is that? God can change my heart and my desires. Now, that's something I can rest in.

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him Feeling slightly convicted here. Wait patiently. Be still. Four words I don't have mastered. Four words I know I can only do with help. Four words I need to live my life by.

This is another quote that has given me comfort these past few weeks:

His timing. Not my timing. His plan. Not my plan. I can rest in knowing God's in control. I can wait until He deems the time is right. I can wait and I can be happy in the waiting knowing I am growing closer to Him through this.

Oh ya, and remember what I choose to be my word for 2014? Maybe it's time to put that to use!

Today I'm joining Jenni over at Frankly My Dear for Wednesdays in the Word. I love the idea of sharing not only what you're reading, but also how God is using it.

Happy Wednesday! Stay warm!

Five on Friday, Vol. 16

Happy first Friday in February!

I'm not entirely sure where January went, but I wasn't sad to see it go! So far February had been good, so we're still friends. I'm excited to link up with Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha to share the things that made me smile this week!

 

{O N E}

This!
I don't know about y'all, but I love the Olympics! Maybe it has something to do with being a former athlete, or maybe I just love competition. Regardless the reason, I. Love. The. Olympics! The husband is going to have to figure out another way to watch basketball because I'm taking the TV over for the next two weeks.

Source

{T W O}

This outfit.
Once upon a time I posted about these shoes. A few people asked to see how I would wear them. At time I didn't have a full length mirror, or a clue how to put an outfit together. I am by no means a fashion expert, but I like to think I've learned how to wear them. This outfit works for me :)
Total side note: I'm wearing Naked3 in this picture. It's wonderful! Love it!

{T H R E E}

This blog post.

I heard this blog post, "Things Girls Wish Their Daddies Knew," on the radio on my way to work. I had to spend a few extra minutes in the car fixing my makeup because mascara and tears don't work together! It's so sweet and so true! If you have read it yet, do it! Get the tissues ready though! 

Source

{F O U R}

This food.
So, the Super Bowl was a total letdown. I was hoping for a great game. No such luck. However, the food we had totally made up for the lack of excitement. So good!
The favorites were:
Chicken and Waffle Bites: I used Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets and a Hot Honey Sauce. Holy yum!
Jalapeno Popper Spread: Still enjoying this one!
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites: Probably my favorite! Veggies and hot sauce for the win!

{F I V E}

These people!

Best part of these week? I get to spend the weekend with all these people! My sweet Grams is visiting from Minnesota, so Sis and Micah and coming too! Y'all my heart can't even handle it. My favorite people all in one place. It's going to be wonderful!

Happy happy weekend!

You Should Know...

Mary from Eat Drink & Be Mary and Taylor from Tattered to Taylored both nominated me for a Liebster Award! Because I've received this before and already passed it on I thought it would be fun to just answer their questions. I love that the Liebster Award introduces readers to new blogs and highlights new bloggers. 

So, here are a few more things you should know...

Mary's Questions:

1. How did you pick your blog name?
Unfortunately, there's no great story behind my blog name. My name is Taylor and my favorite color is turquoise. This blog use to have a different name, but I changed it. That story is more interesting. Maybe one day I'll share it. 

2. Name a food/meal you could eat everyday for a week?
Tacos. I could eat tacos any meal everyday. If it wasn't for the husband I probably would eat them way more than humanly acceptable. Thankfully, he makes sure I add variety to my diet. 

3. If your life were a movie, which movie star would play you?
I'd go with Reese Witherspoon or Blake Lively because I like them. If the husband got to pick it would be Hayden Panettiere, but that's just because he has a huge crush on her.

4. Who is your celebrity crush?
Adam Levine and Ryan Gosling. They're pretty to look at :)

5. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Hum, I have absolutely no idea. I'm thinking open, but now I'm not so sure. I'll check tonight :)

6. What is your favorite topic to blog about?
Good question! Anything real or from my heart. Light-hearted posts are great, but I like writing about things that mean something to me. I also love reading comments and getting emails from readers who relate to what I've shared about. It's my favorite. DIY posts are fun too :)

7. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
I'm on a serious spicy kick right now, so I'd have to go with buffalo sauce or Cholula. I put Cholula on everything! If they're from Chick-Fil-A though I only dip in Polynesia sauce. 

8. Do you still live close to family?
Yes and no. We live about 30 minutes from my parents, but 3ish hours from my sister who lives in South Carolina. I love living close to my parents, but it hurts my heart to live so far from Sis. Right now, I don't see moving out of state in our future, so I'd imagine we'll always live within an hour of my parents and I wouldn't be upset if Samantha and her husband moved closer {hint hint Sis}.

9. What is a movie you could watch over and over?
I get bored with just one movie, so I have to pick a series. I'd have to go with the Hannibal Lecter movies. I hate scary movies, but love psychological thrillers. Must have something to do with my chosen career. 

10. Coffee or tea?
Coffee. Starbucks only please :)

11. If you were going to be on a reality TV show, which one would it be?
Amazing Race. I don't actually watch the show, but I know they travel around the world and do crazy things. I want to travel and do crazy things too, so it seems like a good fit.

Taylor's Questions:

1.  Boxers or Briefs?
Briefs :)

2.  What is the last song played on your iTunes?
I really only listen to Pandora now, so this will be interesting. The last song played on my iTunes was "You're Beautiful" by Phil Wickam. Great song, but goes to show you I have listened to iTunes since I was making CD's for our wedding. 



3.  What was your very first job?
Babysitting was my first job, but that doesn't really count. So, my first real job was as a Jr. Swim Coach for my summer league swim team. I had a major crush on the head coach so it was lots of fun!

4.  Would you rather be on stage or behind the scenes?
This introvert wants to be behind the scenes!! Don't put me on stage, I'll freak out!

5.  Who is your favorite actress right now?
Rachel McAdams


6.  What movie can you watch again and again and never get sick of?
Mary asked this same questions. Great minds think alike :) I'm doing to defer to my answer above.

7.  What DIY or recipe did you finish that you are most proud of?
Good question! My favorite DIY project is a toss up between my dresser or my headboard. The DIY project I'm most looking forward to is staining my kitchen table!

8.  Are you a city chick or a country gal at heart?
Tough question! I really think I could live in either places. I love the fast pace lifestyle of the city and the slower lifestyle of the country. I've always wanted to live in NYC, but don't think I could do it long term. We'll go in the middle, I'm a suburban girl at heart :)


9.  How much time do you HONESTLY spend getting ready?  
I always set aside an hour to get ready, but usually that allows time for extra things like laying back in bed, making lunch, and sending mom and sis a million pictures to make sure what I'm wearing matches. Yes, I'm 27 and I still can't dress myself. 

10.  What is the model of your cellphone?
iPhone 5. I'm an apple girl!

11. What is your guilty pleasure Disney movie?
Mulan. Hands down favorite Disney mover EVER!

Thanks for the nomination Mary and Taylor! Great job with the questions!

February Goals

Some how January felt long and short at the same time. Does that even make sense? To be honest, I'm really not sad to see January go. It wasn't a great month. It was snowy, cold, and I had to sleep in an office building. I'm very ready for a new month and a positive start.

Only picture we got in the snow.
Please excuse the no makeup and lack of shower. The office building provided warmth and food, but no showers.

Part of me really didn't want to do a recap of how I did with my January Goals. It didn't go well and I hate admitting when I fail. However, in an effort to be transparent and use this as a learning experience and not a failure I'll go ahead and share.

Here's a look at January's Goals:

1. Love my husband: Date my husband
This wasn't really specific enough. I did plan one surprise date for James and I in January. We had an inoor picnic in the living room, so I'm counting this as a completed goal. However, this is one of those on-going, always working towards being better at goals.

2. Be intentional with others: Put my phone away at dinner
I would say I did pretty good with this one. I made an effort at dinner each night to put my phone away and not look at it. There is a lot of room for improvement in the phone area though.

3. Go on Adventures: Plan our adventure for the month
The adventure of the month was a trip to Savannah for a wedding. It was fun a fun trip. It's nice to get away sometimes even if just for the weekend.

4. Time with God & Love my Husband: Read through Wife After God 
This is the goal I'm most disappointed about not completing. I started off the month well, then got a few days behind, then a few more, and then I just gave up. I could tell you a million different excuses for why I didn't stick with it, but the truth is I just didn't make it a priority.

5. Organize: Get caught up on work notes 
You see, the crazy thing about goals is that when you set them you have to actively work towards them. I seem to have set this goals and just hoped it would achieve itself. Shockingly, that doesn't work. Seriously though this is a goal I thought about a lot and just kept putting off. I need to get better about setting a daily goal in order to actually achieve the overall goal.

1. Be intentional with my husband: Turn the TV off during dinner at least 2x/week

I'm going to keep up with the January goal of putting my phone down during meal time, but I'm going to add turning the TV off. The husband and I have gotten into a bad habit of watching TV while we eat. I've said that when we get in a house we'll start eating at the table, but why wait to start then. 

2. Take care of myself: Bar Method!

For my birthday I got a gift card to my beloved Bar Method. I may or may not have cried when I opened it up. This month I'm getting back into an exercise routine and kicking it with a month of Bar Method. Words can't even describe. I'm so excited.  

3. Go on Adventures: Enjoy Valentine's Day Adventure

We have awesome Valentine's Day plans and I can't wait. We are going back to where we had our rehearsal dinner and having a special Valentine's Dinner. The goal is to go have fun and just enjoy our first married Valentine's Day. I'm feeling pretty confident about this goal :)

4. Time with God & Love my Husband: Read through Wife After God 

Let's try this again. After reading all the blogger reviews about this book I'm even more excited through this devotional. In order to accomplish this goal my day isn't going to get started until I read the devotional each day.   

5. Organize: Get caught up on work notes

Going to give one another go too. In order to work toward this goal, I'm going to set a smaller daily goal and write at least 5 notes every work day. Bonus points if I write some notes on the weekend. 

Happy February!

10 Favorite Thing: That Special Someone

Today I'm joining Brianna for her "10 Favorite Things" link-up. In honor of Valentine's Day this months theme's is that special someone. I talk about the husband a good bit on here, but I'm excited to share a list of my favorite things about him. He's a pretty special guy.

1. His faith: Hands down, no questions asked my favorite thing about James is his faith. He places God before me and I love him for that. It's easier for a control freak like me to let my husband lead our family when I know he relies on God to lead his life. 

2. He's funny and goofy: I never realized how important it was to have a guy with a sense of humor until I met James. He's hilarious and he's goofy. He keeps me laughing.

3. He's driven: We all known people who just settle in life. That isn't James. He challenges himself in his career and in life. I love that he has the drive to succeed and better himself. 

4. He's really smart and good with computers: What else can I say? The husband is smart, he knows a lot. He also knows a lot about computers which is really helpful because I don't. 

5. He grew up a UGA fan loves football: He did grow up a UGA fan, but he doesn't talk about that. We may not share a love for the same college team, but we share a love for the sport. 

6. He's supportive: I don't always believe in myself, but I know James does. He's one of my biggest fans, and he knows I can do something long before I do.

7. He loves to travel and eat: I love that we share a desire to travel and a love for eating good food.

8. He's an extrovert: I'm an introvert. Even though I don't always like it, he pulls me out of my shell. I love  how he thrives in big groups, and I can always count on him fill in those awkward pauses in conversations that I dread! 

9. He's pretty cute: Looks aren't everything, but they are important. What else can I say? I think he's pretty cute :)

10. He stands up to me: Y'all, I'm a handful. My mom always told me I needed to find a guy who wouldn't let me run all over him. Well, I found that in James. He isn't a doormat. He has plenty of a backbone to stand up to me and I love him for it.