thank Goodness it is Friday!

Ugh this week has felt like it has dragged on forever, anyone else feel that way? And what makes this weekend, even better, it is a three day weekend, yippee!!

 I noticed on Wednesday I dropped down in a few followers and that makes me sad. I don't know why it does, has anyone else had that happen to them? 

What big plans do you have for this weekend? Anything special? I'd love to hear about it. Tomorrow I'm going hiking with a friend and my two dogs, they really love to hike and I love how much energy they burn off doing it and then the rest of the day is up in the air. Sunday, Sean and I are going apple picking. I took him last year and we had so much fun we will make it an annual tradition. He has been excited about going again for awhile. And Monday, sleep in definitely since it is a holiday, and no work for me! Ok onto this week's Friday Fancies. I wore a blazer to work yesterday actually, with skirts and boots and a striped top underneath. See?

 I might start posting more outfits that I wear on a regular basis, what do you think of that?

This is my Friday Fancies out for you all this week. Enjoy!

 I love my personalized Friday Fancies sign, thank you again Alison! You are the bomb dot com!

Oregon recap, scarf project and food help!

Oh man, did I just try and jam all of those things into one post? Wowzers, maybe I need to cut back on the topics I want to talk about here on my little bloggy. Anyways I promised an Oregon recap and I have failed to deliver yet, but I must apologize in advance, I took very very little photos. Pretty much the only photos I took is when we went to Voodoo Donuts in Eugene. Ever heard of the place? If not, then you are about to. 

Voodoo Donuts has been featured on many TV shows about donuts, and they are not the least bit interested in staying kosher or politically correct. While you can find many of your favorite donut flavors, you might be interested in some of their more unique varieties. Like the maple bacon bar, really really good, the Gay Bar, a raised bar with cream in the middle with fruit loops on top with the colors of the rainbows. 

Or the more interesting voodoo donut, which has raspberry jelly in the certain, the donut is int he shape of a person and you get a pretzel stick to do voodoo on your donut. There are blueberry donuts, donuts with orange Tang on the icing, cotton candy donuts that are bright blue and have pink sprinkles. 

Maple bacon bar

The Voodoo donut

Oh you can legitimately get married at Voodoo Donuts too, no joke!
 They offer it on their menu board, and it is a true and legal wedding.

Next remember when I said I would be remaking this adorable scarf slightly cheaper:

I have officially recreated it for less than the original price and even still under the sale price of $20. I found the dotted scarf at Target, always a great place! I got the wooden beads at Michaels for $5, and the embroidery thread I used was only 35 cents. I wanted to use the embroidery threat to give the beads some thicker to hold on to and the last thing I wanted was the thread breaking and the beads flying everywhere! Here are photos of the project!

I needed the ends sewn together so I sent the scarf to my mom and she used her sewing machine to do it. 

Finally, I was the winner of Williams-Sonoma fall goodie giveaway over at Breakfast at Toast.
 I won all of these goodies.

Now I need you my bloggy friends to help give me ideas of what wonderful things to make. The apple cider concentrate will make a gallon so I need lots of recipes, which of course will be posted up here on my blog

First on my list is apple cider donuts. Now please help me with other recipes I should be making! 

Thanks a million :-)

Burlap Love - - Oh Pinteresting Wednesday

I'm continuing with my farm chic love and all the lovely items that can be classified under Farm Chic, a blogger even suggested I coined that term, so coined it is, farm chic is forever available to you to use as as as I get credit. Just kidding! I noticed that Target has started doing some burlap home decorations and yes that really does excite me to the core. I got a sweet $50 giveaway to Target thanks to the lovely Kara of A Little Bit of Lovely and saw a beautiful burlap footstool today during my lunch break, price $49.99, bam that is what the giftcard is being spent on! Ok onto my pins for this Wednesday all centered on my unquenchable love for burlap and everything farm chic! These are of course linked over to the lovely blog, The Vintage Apple, 

who is getting married this weekend. Congrats to her!

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: fancyhouseroad.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Meg on Pinterest

Purses have a special place in my heart...

I want to announce the winner of last week's giveaway for the set of 3 cards with Stesha's photography!

The lovely winner is number 28, Ashlyn of My Unrehearsed Life! Congrats! I have contacted her and Stesha about the results. Look for more giveaways coming soon, I have some fabulous ones! Ever heard of Stella & Dot? ;-)

Wow, is it really October already? Where is this year going already? I know that is always said but seriously, why is this year just flying by?

I appreciate each and everyone of you who commented on my post yesterday, you all seriously wowed me by taking the time to share more about yourself with me and I sincerely appreciate it. I try and respond to each comment I receive on all my blogs, pardon me if I don't get that 100% but yesterday's comments I will make sure each of you receive a comment. You took the time to open up more to me, and the only way I can say thank you is to respond and begin a deeper blogger friendship with you. 

Today’s post is a look into my purse, what I carry on a daily basis and what style of purse I look for when shopping. I wanted to do a little fashion post for you all today. I was browsing through Piperlime recently, one of my favorite sites by the way, and would love to shop there frequently if someone else picked up the tab ;-)

First, here is a look into my purse and all I carry, the must have essentials in my opinion. My wallet, aviator sunglasses with a case, Nivea lip balm (my favorite chapstick, it goes on so smooth and lasts for hours), car keys, 4 tubes of lip gloss, a small tube of Advil for those times when you have a headache or some type of pain that circulates about once a month.  Additionally, I have my house and work keys on a separate keychain. I carry my business cards as well in my purse.

I thought I would share a few of my favorite finds for you all and if anyone is willing to pick up the shopping tab, please contact me ;-) My husband would appreciate it too.

I love the floral detail

A cute, carry everything purse

I love the bird detail on the bag

I have been craving this Marc Jacobs purse forever, 

and love the variety of colors available

A cute cross-over bag is a MUST!

Any color of a cross-over bag is a DO!

This Foley-Corina bag has been my dream ever since one of my co-worker’s bought it

As you can see, my personal bag style is a large, can carry all tote. There is not a lot of detail on the purse, it is subtle, maybe a tassle or zipper very strategically placed.

What is your personal purse style? Do you prefer smaller purses, or larger ones with lots of detail?

 How much do you usually carry in your purse?

Dear Readers...

I am back from my min-vacation up to Oregon. Seriously all of you bloggers who live up there Erika Lee, Kira, Mandee and many others you are all lucky Oregon ducks ;-) or maybe Beavers if you root for that team, for getting to live in such a beautiful state. 

I had a post planned for this morning that included some recently found beautiful purses, I have a slight obsession with purses. But I need to write what is on my heart today or lest I am not doing any of you a favor but not being real and honest with you.        

I am struggling... 

I am struggling in life right now for a variety of reasons, so there isn't one specific thing I can pinpoint out, solve that and then everything would be a-ok. I will start with my job since that is a big portion of my time each week. I struggle because I feel like I go to a dead-end job with no way out, I have been sending in resumes, making contacts, and nothing is working. I know the economy isn't the best right now, but I refuse to let that bring me down. However, I take a day off which I did on Friday and I struggle with having to return this morning. It is a cyclical situation, I don't like my job but I lack the motivation to do much about it. And that is where I get stuck because I have no idea what God wants me to do with my life. I look at a job description, get excited for a bit then realize I don't have what they are looking for or the job sounds really interesting but could I do it? My head is filled with so many doubts and questions. 

I struggle to be the wife that my husband needs as well. Many of you know he is a college cross country and track coach, and it has been difficult on me, his schedule, the hours he has to put into it, and the time he is gone. I don't understand why I can't be more supportive and understanding to his job, and what he needs from me. I just know I don't do a very good time and as a result, I have done and said some things I am not very proud of...

As I write this early in the morning with my husband gone, and my puppies to keep me company, I just want you to know I am a work in progress every day, but behind the recipes, the DIY projects, and the smiling photos, is a girl who is struggling, who has a lot of self-doubts and insecurities. But that is me and today I am being real...

I have to go now because Kip is gently whining at me to get out of bed and feed him breakfast, that boy talks food and is led by his stomach!