2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS

I set a new record with our cards this year. In preparation for our trip, I got to work on them and had (most of) them in the mailbox before December 1st. I usually try to mail them off the first or second week of December, but this year I dropped them in the mailbox as we were leaving for our cruise, on November 28th. Now let's just see if I can keep that up every year ;)

I am excited to (virtually) send you all our 2016 family Christmas card this morning! This year our girl, #ReaganCoats stole the show! We were originally going to use a picture from our anniversary session we had made back in the summer, but then when we brought our girl home we just knew she had to be in our Christmas card picture. So that's when we decided to have a few fall pictures made and from that we had our new Christmas card picture. I decided to use Minted again, and was once again, very pleased. Their adorable designs, amazing customer service, and extremely fast shipping wins me over every time!

I left the back blank again this year so I could hand write a small personal message. Also, this year I used our address stamp that my BIL gifted me last year at Christmas!

I am so happy with how our Christmas cards turned out this year. You can find our (first) Christmas card from last year, here.

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2016 CHRISTMAS CARDS

Apartment tour...Christmas edition

I don't think I have given a full apartment tour yet but I did snap some pictures of all my Christmas decorations that I wanted to share. It's not much since  1. I don't like spending full price on decorations (the best time to buy them is after the holiday and I forgot last year...) 2. Even if I had remembered, I have a one bedroom so it's not like I have tons of space...but I like that, so it's okay! I really only decorated my living room and some of kitchen.   Living room

You'll just have to excuse that workout machine, I didn't want to knock my tree over trying to move it out of the picture lol.

 

I found those cute small Christmas pillows in Targets dollar section last year!

 

One year I made an ornament wreath with cheap plastic ornaments from dollar tree but it got all bent out of shape when I packed it up and some of the ornaments broke so I took them off and just put them in a cute Christmas box my mom had left over as a centerpiece for my coffee.

 

My Christmas tree! It's kinda plain but it'll do! I wanted to make a bow to put at the top but just didn't ever get around to it.

 

 

I found these cute metal presents at Hobby Lobby on major sale and just couldn't pass them up!! I think they would look so darn cute in front of a fire place but for now under the tree works, too!

 

These blankets from Old Navy are the BEST. I got one last year when they went on sale for $5 and I found this one this year and loved it!! They are so soft and have the cutest Christmas designs. So I draped them over my couches to add a little more color in there. Those pillows don't match it at all lol

 

My mom had an extra frame laying around so I found a cute print and hung it up over one of my end-tables.

 

Kitchen

 My new placemats! I think I shared these pictures a couple of weeks ago but
I just love them!

 

I made this plate a couple of years ago and put it in place of my little chalkboard for Christmas time.

 

 My mom got me this adorable apron last year for Christmas, I think it makes a cute decoration when it's not being used...which is always. I'll take it home to use while we are cooking for Christmas dinner ;)

I hung up a few canvases I made a couple of years ago just to add a little more to my kitchen!

 

Outside my apartment

My dad made this ADORABLE sign to stick out there and I absolutely LOVE it! He did such a good job. I bought some cute poinsettias to set out there with it! That is my Christmas wreath I made last year. I was never a big fan of it but it was cheap to make so it worked. Some of the mesh was still smashed from being packed up. My mom made me a new one and it's MUCH better! I just forgot to take a new picture.

 

And that's it!! I love it!!!!

I feel like I haven't had my decorations up long at all and I don't want to take them down anytime soon, but I will probably take them down before I go home for Christmas so I don't have to worry about that when I get back.

I don't know if I have mentioned it before but I LOVE CHRISTMAS! 

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Apartment tour...Christmas edition

December goals

Because I'm always late about posting my goals... ;)     November goals   - Start blogging more  I think I did pretty well until last week ;) -Work on Christmas shopping  I have almost everything finished, just need to grab a couple of things online! -Continue working hard on something that I have coming up! YES I can't wait to share with y'all what I have been up to! -DOLLYWOOD  We went. We conquered. I didn't throw up ;) We had a lot of fun! You can read about it here -SOC formal   Formal was a lot of fun. Getting dressed up, Christmas decorations, best friends and good food. Couldn't ask for a better night! You can read about it here! -Enjoy the moment  We have been just going with the flow. We usually don't have plans we just hang out with friends each night at the SOC house. It's a joy to be with your best friends all the time.     December goals   Celebrate Matthew It's graduation week...he graduates in FOUR days! He picked up his cap and gown a few weeks ago and it came with that pretty hood ;) He took his last final yesterday and has 2 more papers and then he is DONE (for this semester). He actually has to take one online class next semester but they are letting him walk in the December graduation since he is starting work next month. Which is great because his twin brother, Nathan, is graduating this Saturday as well. I am so glad they get to walk together one last time! We are going to dinner Friday night and maybe a movie, to celebrate just the two of us. Saturday after graduation we will celebrate with our families!   Completely finish Christmas shopping and wrap everything I have a couple of things I need to order online and then I am completely finished! Now I just need to wrap everything. I found some wrapping paper and boxes that I bought last year that I had forgotten about...score!   Take pictures of my apartment decorated for Christmas and share I blog a lot for myself, selfish? Maybe. but I want to be able to come back here and remember the small things that I blogged about. Even now I go back and look at some of my first posts and love it. I mean a lot has happened since I started blogging. I also blog for friends and family that don't live close. It's a great way to share what's going on. And we ALL know how much I love my little apartment so of course I want to share it with you, especially now that it's decorated for Christmas :)   Purge I promised myself when I moved out of my old apartment that I wouldn't keep as much stuff and sale/donate throughout the year, so that when it comes time to move again I don't spend DAYS packing stuff that I don't even need. Well, I need to sale/donate some stuff now lol. I honestly don't know how I end up with all this stuff but it has got to go! I love my little one bedroom apartment but I can't wait to have more storage space one day. Seriously, I have extra dishes up under my bed because I don't have a lot of  cabinet space lol working with what I have!   Enjoy this time of the year It's so easy to get caught up in the busy day to day activities with this time of the year but I want to slow down and enjoy it. Everyone is leaving throughout this week to go home for Christmas break and won't be back until the middle of January so that means all SOC activities are basically over after this week until we start getting ready for next semester. We already have the schedule for next semester planned and it's just as full as this semester. So I am wanting to really take advantage of some down time. Watch all the Christmas movies that we can, drive around and look at Christmas lights and just enjoy the last few weeks Matthew has here in Cookeville. We made a Cookeville bucket list at the beginning of this semester and we haven't been able to cross much of it off so maybe we can work on that lol.   Share what I have been working on I shared last month that I have been working on something for awhile now and this month I get to share it with y'all! I am so excited I just can't stand it!!     Since it's so late to share monthly goals I have already read most of y'all's lol. Happy Tuesday!   4 days until Matthew's graduation 16 days until Christmas Day 23 days until the New Year!

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December goals

Christmas wreath with countdown

This week hasn't been off to the best start. When it rains it pours but I am determined to not let this get me down! It's the best time of the year and I am going to enjoy every second of it.   Saturday night I made spaghetti and Matthew took a break from studying and came over for dinner and a Christmas movie. Matthew, food and Christmas movie...three of my favorite things :) After the movie Matthew went back to his apartment to study for the rest of the night and I was feeling crafty so I made a Christmas wreath for our front door, finally!   I have been looking on Pinterest for ideas and sadly I still can't get how to make the cute burlap ones or deco mesh. The last time I tried I about chucked it out the window a few times. I will learn how to make it though, maybe a goal for 2014? Anyways, I picked up some tulle at Wal-Mart. A roll of red, a roll of white and a roll of green. They were cheaper there than at Hobby Lobby where I had looked previously so I was pretty happy about that! I didn't know what I was going to do with the tulle or how I was going to apply it to the wreath but I just started tying it and after doing a few it was turning out pretty cute!!

I just cut pieces long enough to tie, some were longer than others but that's okay I trimmed it after so they were all pretty even.

WARNING: Glitter will get EVERYWHERE. Have vacuum on stand by!!

This is a little time consuming but I was watching a Christmas movie and talking with friends so it didn't seem too long.

I didn't like the way the inside looked so I looked for something to hang in the middle. My roommate suggested hanging a stocking in the middle but I remembered I had bought a little chalkboard Christmas countdown at Target in their famous dollar section and put it in the middle

and it was PERFECT I tell ya!!

 

 

I love the way it turned out and fully plan on using it next year! I might even make my mom one for Christmas as well :) I made this wreath for about $12. I don't know about y'all but I'm not about to spend much more than that for a wreath that gets to hang up for about a month. BOOM. There are 15 days until Christmas now, these pictures were taken yesterday!   Linking up with Michaela and Cassie today!

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Christmas wreath with countdown

D E C E M B E R goals

Oh happy day :)

You know the drill. Every time I put up a new goals post I can’t seem to wrap my head around how quickly the year is flying by. It feels like I was just ringing in the new year with my loves and now 2013 is coming to an end.

26 days until 2013 is over. Chew on that for a moment.

Here are my goals from November

- Workout 2-3 times a week

 (I am getting a new schedule at work starting next week and I will be getting off earlier so NO excuses y'all!!)

- Start running

- Drink more water I've been drinking more water throughout the day!

- Get the classes I want for next semester

- Have our 1st annual Friendsgiving SUCCESS! You can read all about that here

- Appreciate the small things more This definitely makes for a better day, positive attitude is key friends!

- Pay it forward

- Start decorating my room

(or at least hang some pictures on the walls, it is bare I tell ya!!)

- Blog 3-4 times a week

- Spend more than 2 days at HOME!! Thanksgiving break was wonderful and relaxing :)

(thanksgiving break can't come fast enough)

-Find purple dress for Matthew's graduation I was stressing on this one but Old Navy came through, and it was on sale AND I had a coupon + free shipping....happy Shelby :)

(37 days people 37 days until boo dawg walks across the stage!!!!!!)

- Go on at least 2 dates with Matthew

- Win the intramural volleyball championship with my SOC girls We lost in the first round of playoffs.

- Continue saving MULA$$ :)

-START & FINISH Christmas shopping

(or at least get most of it finished so I won't stress so much in December) 

- Finish all the books I have started

(there are probably about 5 books I have started and I haven't even finished)

- Try 2 new recipes

(Now that I will be getting off earlier I will able to cook for Matthew!! I am so excited I can't stand it)

- Have another social free media weekend

- BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING We got some pretty good deals!

(Enough said y'all!!)

I didn't cross off near as much as I wanted to. November was a crazy month and December is looking to be the same way. I'm not complaining though, I'm blessed to have so much to do. However, I do feel like I set too many goals and I usually am disappointed at myself towards the end of the month (usually when I am typing up the next months goals and realize I didn't accomplish everything) So from now on I won't be setting as many goals, I won't have a set amount each month just not 20.

I will hold myself to a standard of grace not perfection.

With that being said here are my December goals

1. Clean out, get rid of, de-clutter, donate and organize. 

No drawer or closet will be spared. I have stuff just laying around that is taking up room and someone else could be getting very good use out of. Overall I want to be more organized than I am (OCD is kicking in). I want to simplify, simplify, and simplify even more going into 2014. I want to also make out calendars for the upcoming year for meal planning. I would also like to print out a cleaning schedule for the apartment to keep up with weekly.

2. Be a better girlfriend.

I honestly don't think I am a bad one but there is always room for improvement. I want to encourage and support Matthew, even more than I do now, spiritually and mentally. I want to plan fun things for us to do and get out of our normal everyday routine. Also I want to throw in a few surprises for him and cook more :)

3. Finish Christmas shopping and send out Christmas cards 

This is a MUST. This time last year I had everything purchased and wrapped. There are so many things I want to make and get. This Friday and Saturday I plan on crossing this off my list! Since this is my first Christmas living on my own I thought it would be fun to send out Christmas cards to all my family and friends. I am really excited about this and picked some cute ones up last time I was at Target. I want to just really enjoy this time of year.

4. Have at least 2 date nights

I see Matthew everyday now (I don't hate it!!) and we usually eat dinner every night together, whether it be running to Taco Bell or throwing some chicken in the oven we are usually eating together and then just doing whatever, watch TV or study. I want to have at least 2 date nights with something planned. Preferably one date night in and one date night out, where we get dressed up. I believe in dressing up and still going on dates, no matter how long you have been together.

5. Social free media weekend

I wish I would have done this over the Thanksgiving break but I was too excited to see everyone's Thanksgiving pictures lol. I am going to be home for Christmas a little longer than I was for Thanksgiving so I am hoping to be able to that weekend and just really enjoy the time that I am home with my family. 

6. Make some Christmas crafts and blog about them After all isn't that the name of my blog?? Yes, yes it is. There are SO many cute things floating around on Pinterest that I am wanting determined to make. I also want to make Christmas cookies for a few people, this time of the year is PERFECT for baking and of course Pinterest has about 101 recipes to try out so I will be trying out a few, hopefully!
So there ya have it! December is here and is in full force, and things have been a little busy around here with Thanksgiving and having my final the Tuesday we come back from break but I passed and I am on Christmas break!! Woo hoo! Also, I wanted to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Matthew's momma!!  Sending lots of love and birthday wishes from Cookeville today :) 

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D E C E M B E R goals