July 2021 // A List

July was filled with a lot of preparations.

July had me consuming a lot of coffee.

July's last two weeks were all about school supplies, back-to-school shopping, and getting ready for the first day of school.

July was all about making the most of the summer.

July was full of hope.

July was a good month for reading lots of books and magazines.

July had me feeling all the feels.

July was equal parts courage and fear.

July was full of celebration.

July was full of love.

July was about finally being able to see family face-to-face after not seeing them for over a year. 

July got me excited for fall.

July went by so fast.

Just Another Manic Monday

So I meant to post this last week (most likely late Monday or early Tuesday), but things got a little bit busy. Also, did anyone else sing the title or just me? Anyways, I'm pretty sure most of you are not surprised that Monday is most definitely not my favorite day of the week. Most people feel the same way, and this was evident because last Monday was just insane. 

We spent most of the day going to open houses and house hunting. On our way to check out a few houses, we saw two cars almost wreck. One guy flipped off the other driver, and the passenger of that car actually stepped out of the car. They were all ready to rumble, and I was honestly annoyed. It's a Monday, and they should just be happy that they didn't wreck. Luckily, the guy who flipped the other driver, "the bird," quickly drove off, and everyone went on their way. Also, I'd like to point out that there were so many people driving horrendously on Monday. 

When we finally got to the first showing, we were informed that the sellers and their realtors got their dates mixed up. They didn't realize that there would be a showing, so they asked us if we would still like to view the home. We decided to go ahead and check it out while they drove around their neighborhood. Maybe I should have taken it as a sign that the house was not the one for us. Before we got to the house, I accidentally stepped on an anthill. I still can't believe that happened. We got that situation taken care of and viewed the house. Sure enough, it was not the one for us. By the way, I'm completely ok. Thank goodness for Target's curbside pickup because I had to order some first aid stuff to help with the ant bites.

So many things went wrong on that day, but it wasn't all bad. I was reminded that there are so many more important things to focus on. Life is short, and we should be lucky that we are still here. We now have a clearer idea of which areas we'd like to move to. I got to rest for the remainder of the day and read. Overall, it was a productive but manic Monday. 

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Back-to-School shopping

2. This collage idea from Lauren 

3. Happy mail from Studio Calico and Paper Person

4. These journal cards from Studio Calico

5. Text messages from my little sister 

6. Rice Krispie treats

7. Anniversary gifts and flowers from John

8. Chili cheese hot dogs

9. Stay by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber

10. Watching my sons play together

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Target Finds

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another edition of Target Finds! Over the past few weeks, I've found some cool things at Target. Most of the things that I found were stuff that I actually needed, so I'm glad that I didn't go overboard with spending. I even found a few things for my boys and part of my anniversary gift to John.

Let's check out what I found and bought at Target.

Boys' Nintendo Mario Pajama Set

I really love this pajama set. The boys needed some new ones, and these were decently priced. They are so soft and are true to size. The boys loved them. 

Sterilite Pencil Box

I bought this pencil box to store some of my craft supplies. I decided to put my most used labels, stickers, die cuts, and embellishments in it. It's not too big or too small. It's also perfect for carrying around the house. I also love that it's small enough to take with me outside. 

It's also large enough to store my Moleskine pocket sketchbook, a couple of pens, markers, etc. So if you want to use it to store a sketchbook/art journal and your favorite supplies, this pencil box should do the trick. 

Men's Graphic T-shirts 

Part of my anniversary gift to John was getting him several graphic t-shirts. I found so many cool t-shirts like this one and this one. The t-shirts are soft and true to size. I've probably said this before, but I'll say it again, I love the graphic t-shirts Target carries. Sometimes I even buy some of the men's graphic t-shirts for myself...Target should really start offering the same men's graphic t-shirts in the women's section. 

Midnight MIX Ice Cream

This ice cream is part of Target's Favorite Day line, and it is so good. The Midnight MIX ice cream has vanilla ice cream, cookie crumbs, oatmeal cookie pieces, chocolate candy, and chocolate pretzels. It's a perfect little pick-me-up. 

Overall, I found some great things at Target. As usual, I saved on all of my Target Finds by using the cartwheel app and buying items on sale.

What are some of your favorite Target Finds?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Pineapple Mango smoothie from Smoothie King

2. Getting good news from our mechanic (Hooray for not having to get a lot of work done on my car!)

3. House hunting (We're back at it again. I'm feeling a bit hopeful.)

4. Ordering new memory keeping and scrapbooking kits and supplies

5. Words by Matt Haig

6. Art by @megjournals

7. This layout by @reson8ed

8. This hashtag on Instagram #scsummerofsketches

9. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba series (Currently watching Season 1)

10. My boys

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

If You and I Had Coffee

If you and I had coffee...

We'd meet up at a local coffee shop and order some drinks and pastries. We'd take our food and go for a walk. The weather has been perfect...not too hot or too cold. 

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm getting stressed out with house hunting. Yes, we are still looking. The market is just insane right now, and it's very frustrating. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed, and I'm wondering if maybe I'm picky about the houses. But then again, this is a huge investment. I mean, we're talking about our forever home.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm so excited to finally have a copy of Matt Haig's latest book, The Comfort Book. It's just what I needed. I'm a big fan of Haig's work. I loved his books Reasons to Stay Alive and Notes on a Nervous Planet. I love his Instagram page. You can check it out here.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm starting to write more and have started writing for Atlanta Mom again. It's been a while since I wrote a piece for Atlanta Mom, and I'm so glad that I could share some new work. You can check my latest article here. 

I'm really loving this creative burst that I'm having. I'm writing more and making more art. I've been taking courses, working in my sketchbook, and making layouts (6x8 scrapbook layouts and pocket pages). It's been incredibly therapeutic, and it's been so comforting.

If you and I had coffee...

I'd tell you that I'm glad that we met up. I'd tell you that I hope you have a great day. I hope you continue to enjoy your summer. I'd tell you that I can't wait for our next coffee date.

What would you tell me?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Atlanta Mom Blog

Happy Monday! I can't remember if I shared this, but Atlanta Area Moms Blog (also formerly known as ATL Mom Collective) now has a new name! It's now called Atlanta Mom! 

Today I'm over at Atlanta Mom with a new post. I'm sharing some waterfalls to visit in Georgia. Feel free to check out my post and tell me what you think. 

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and happy list link up.

1. Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccinos

2. Belgian Waffles

3. School Supply displays at Target

4. Realizing that I don't have any errands to take of today (Hooray for staying home!)

5. Chocolate chip scones

6. Sleeping in and naps

7. Happy mail

8. Reading new books

9. The Bold Type

10. Organizing my craft supplies

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

July Goals

Happy Monday! How is it already July? It seems like June went by so fast. But I guess the saying is true that time flies when you're having fun. Last month was such a great month. We went on a little staycation to Helen, GA, and enjoyed staying near the mountains. We've gone to the pool a few times and have been enjoying summer so far. 

This month I'm looking forward to celebrating Mami's birthday and going on some more adventures. I can't wait to cross off some more things on my summer bucket list. I'm also excited to work on my new goals for this month. I added a bit more goals this month, and I have a few projects that I'm hoping to complete. 

Since it's a new month, it's time to check out my new goals and have a little recap on how I did with my June goals.

Recap of June Goals

• Read 5 books: I read a lot in June. I was definitely on a romance kick. Random question: What in the hell is up with romance novel book covers? They either make me laugh way too hard, or they make me cringe. And yes, I've read a couple of books with covers that made me cringe. The blurb either really interested me, which helped me make a decision to read the book. A lot of times, the stories were actually good, but the cover was another story. Thank goodness for e-books because you will never ever catch me with a physical copy of a romance novel. Honestly, I think I need to make a separate blog post about this. Stay tuned.

• Read 3 books that I have to review soon: I accomplished this goal. I read and reviewed several books for NetGalley. Some of these books are Mother/land by Ananda Lima, A Little Book of Self-Care for Those Who Grieve by Paula Becker, Assholes by Bram Algoed and Micah Stahl, and Horizontal Parenting by Michelle Woo.

• Try 1 new recipe: I made this recipe that I found on the Atlanta Mom Instagram page. It's such a simple but delicious drink recipe. It's just frozen fruit, and some Prosecco blended together. And it's perfect for summer! I love that it's easy to switch things up with this recipe. 

• Go for a walk on the Silver Comet Trail: I didn't get to do this, and honestly, I'm not too upset. There were two main reasons why I didn't go for a walk on the Silver Comet Trail. The first being that the weather has been all over the place. It's either been way too hot, or it's been raining. The second reason is that I just didn't make time to actually go. 

• Complete One Little Word prompts for May and June: I completed the prompts for May, but not June. So I'm planning on working on the prompt(s) for June in the next few days. 

• Publish 1 personal piece for the blog: I accomplished this! I had wanted to publish a personal piece on the blog for a while now but never got around to doing it. You can read my post here. 

• Complete 1 Skillshare class: I took Art Journaling for Self-Care: 3 Exercises for Reflection and Growth by Amanda Rach Lee. I enjoyed taking this class. It gave me some ideas on journaling in my sketchbook. 

July Goals

• Read 6 books

• Read 4 books that I need to review soon

• Try 2 new recipes

• Complete One Little Word prompts for July

• Finish my Christmas 2020 traveler's notebook

• Complete 2 Skillshare classes

• Go for a walk on the Silver Comet Trail

What are your goals for July? How did you do in June?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

10 Things That Made Me Happy This Week

Happy Friday! Today I'm linking up with Charlotte, Lindsay, and Beth for their weekly grateful and list link up.

1. You Right by Doja Cat and The Weeknd

2. New scrapbooking and memory keeping supplies from Studio Calico

3. Machete: Poems by Tomás Morín

4. Summer is in full force

5. Diary pages by Austin Kleon 

6. Traci Reed's flip through of her scrapbook album

7. Words of Wisdom by @kwohtations

8. Anthony Ramos' new album, Love and Lies

9. My kids

10. The little boy who came up to me with his mom and said, "Hi lady. We're getting Percy!" He was so excited to get the toy train. 

What made you happy this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time...