Blah. Blah. Blah.

Blah. 


That's kind of how I'm feeling. If you want to read a non-blah post, you can find one of my guest posts here. You can also find my BBN post on Bad Words in Blogging over here. You may wanna keep this window open and read to the end, though... just sayin. :)

I'm giving away a custom business card design here.

Now that I'm working full time, I don't really have time to answer every single comment that you guys leave and visit all of your blogs.

Basically, I'm choosing to only respond to important comments, but still make the effort to come visit your blogs, because, let's face it - reading your blogs is a heck of a lot more enjoyable than answering emails. So... if I don't reply to every comment you leave, please know that I still appreciate them, and I lurve you all.

In other news, thanks for all of the well-wishes yesterday! Let me tell ya - orientation was sooo exciting. I mean, those 80s videos just really got me excited. How could this hair not give you the warm and fuzzies?

via

On a serious note, I'm pretty sure I'll really enjoy my job. And that's the last you'll hear about that, unless I have stupid funny stories (which I'm sure I will, so scratch that last statement.

In other news, I'm planning on doing my little home tour vlog on Thursday. Wooo!! It's finally at a point where I feel that it's presentable enough.

If your name is Amanda C., you won this giveaway. Contact me to claim your prize, yo!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And... finally, I have a little end of the month treat for you guys!

I know it's almost time for school to start, and a lot of people are either students or teachers. What better way to celebrate going back than with a $25 gift card to Starbucks and a gift basket to Bath and Body works? I mean, I'm not a student or a teacher, and I'd love to have both. But alas, I cannot have them. You're in luck, though, because Libby is giving away both of the aforementioned things, and you can enter!

Use rafflecopter to enter below!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

First Day....

Good Morning!!! 


Today's my first day at my "big girl job!" This is kind of how I'm feeling. Eek!!

So if I don't respond to comments or check the blog every hour, that's why!


Have a good day, everyone!! 

Sunday Confessions Link Up

Hi friends! 


Hope you all have had a great weekend so far! Mine has been crazy busy. Anyway, somehow it's already Sunday, which means that it's time for confessions! Grab a button and link on up!



 <center><a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> 1. I almost threw my sewing machine out the window last night. I seriously thought it was broken, and I was so upset because I wasn't quite done with the curtains I was working on. Turns out a wheel thingy (love my technical jargon) had gotten loose, and as soon as I tightened it, it worked like a gem.

2. I'm moving to the dark side. Okay, so meal planning isn't exactly the dark side, but it is something I never thought I'd do. Turns out I was wrong. I'm a crazy lady who plans meals for the month now. If you want a great recipe, click the pic. Mmmm so good.

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Alyx on Pinterest

3. I'm honestly worried about how much crafty/DIY stuff I've been doing recently. I am not  a crafty person. Who am I, and what have I done with Alyx? Someone save me from myself, please!

4. I spent approximately 10 hours yesterday watching the olympics. Ummm was anyone else shocked that Phelps didn't even place in the 400 IM? Really, dude? What have you been doing? Not training, obviously. Okay, that was harsh. I'm sorry, Michael - let's be besties.

via

5. I can't wait to watch women's gymnastics for hours on end. Oh, and volleyball. Those are my two favorites. Holy balls, I love the olympics.

What's your favorite Olympic event? 

No Favorites. I'm a Big Ball of Stress, Ready to Explode.

Dude. 

I'm pretty sure I'm too stressed to even begin to think about my favorite things from this week. If I had to pick, though, being unpacked would be one.

Grandma curtains would not.

Clogged gutters would not.

My awesome homemade curtains would. At least the one window that I finished.

My grandma lamps that I spray-painted brass would.

My zombie eyes would not.

My pimple-face would not.

The amount of money that we've spent would not.

Mike's built-in shelves would.

Being reunited with my iMac would.

My throw pillows would. The "love" one is from here.

My unmade bed and messy room would not.

And that's all I've got. 


[Hahaha, that rhymed.]

I'll do a home tour vlog... next week. 

And... here's a little TGIF treat for you all! Brooke, Jennifer, and Shelby have all graciously donated some prizes for you guys to win! There will be three winners of this giveaway - Each prize has a mandatory entry (follow the blog with GFC), and entries will be verified. Jennifer's giveaway is only open to those with a U.S. address. The other two are international. Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PS: This giveaway for ad space is still going on, and entries are low, so you've got good chances! 

It's Okay. Bad Blogger. Other Stuff You Just Might Want to Click.

Hi guys!! 


So, I'm still running a little (okay, a lot) low on sleep, and am very behind on emails, but our house is finally almost a home. I promise pictures tomorrow. I'd show you some today, but the windows are all covered by grandma curtains (why can't I get away from those??), so I'm spending the day sewing.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to link up for It's Okay Thursday.

It's okay...

... That I forgot to take "before" pictures of our house.

... That I am a walking zombie.

... That I'm a little nervous to start the new job.

... That I still can't navigate my way around an American grocery store. Germany, I miss you.

... That I probably smell like fish food because I forgot to shower. Don't worry, I'll shower before I go out in public. Maybe. No, I will.

And... it's okay that I'm leaving you all with a giveaway. Shane is giving away a medium ad space for August and a $15 credit to her etsy shop. Note: both mandatory entries must be completed in order to win. Giveaway is open to US residents only and will close on Monday evening.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WIWW. Christmas in July. Holy Balls am I Exhausted.

Linking up here.

skirt: I made it sandals: target bangles: Christmas in July gift (f21) shirt: f21 watch: fossil

Hey guys!! 

So... I'm not gonna lie. It's 3 am here and I'm taking a break from unpacking boxes to write this blog post. I know I've been a crappy blogger the past couple days (read: I have over 100 emails in my inbox that have yet to be answered), but sometimes life comes first. Bah. 

I have a picture of us in front of the house standing next to the sold sign, but IDK where my camera cable is, so that's just gonna have to wait. 

I forgot to take "before" pictures of the house, so all you kiddies get is the after, which will really be a before because we're probably going to slowly fix the things we don't like. I'm really just rambling because I'm so friggin' tired and exhausted and haven't eaten anything except the most unhealthy chicken sandwich ever. 

ANYWAY. As many of you know, it's the 25th. Which means that it's time for the Christmas in July Linkup! I was paired up with Brielle, and I was pretty excited, because I sort of "knew" her from reading her blog. 

I have pictures of what I sent her, but they're on my phone, and I have no clue where that is, so you get the one that I just pulled off of Instagram. 

Underneath that card and tissue paper was some nail polish, a couple of pairs of earrings, a small notebook and pens, and an index card holder to put recipes in (with a couple of my favorites). I think that's it. 

Now for the good stuff... I was so excited when I got this package in the mail, I almost forgot to take a picture! I remembered, though. Unfortunately, it has my address, and I'm too tired to go into photoshop to blur it out. 

Oh, well. Brielle sent me a beautiful scarf, some nail polish, some tic-tacs (what are you saying, Brielle? You can smell my almost morning breath all the way out there in Utah? haha, jk), some bangle bracelets, and the chapstick that saved my life about an hour ago (and is about to save it again).

So there you have it. 

SIDE NOTE: go here to see if you won the Anthropologie gift card & ad space from Sue.

If you participated in Christmas in July, feel free to link up and share what you gave/received. If you did not receive a package and your partner has not contacted you with an explanation, send me the name and email address of your partner, and I will personally contact them to see what is going on. If you did not send a package, that is NOT fair or okay, and you will be banned from further gift exchanges. There were far too many of those, and, to be perfectly honest, I'm a little (okay a lot) ticked about it. 

That being said... go ahead and link up, and visit others while you're at it!!! 

Today.

I'm living without Internet so if you're waiting on an email or blog design, I will get it to you ASAP.

I also just wanted to thank you guys for all the congratulations yesterday. I wish I had time to go through and answer every email, but I'm a slow iPhone typist and there are about 50 boxes calling my name.

Happy Tuesday!

Florida. Mickey. Disney. MOVING DAY!!!!

You guys. 

Oops... I didn't say hello! Sorry, and... hello! I'm just so excited because... TODAY IS THE DAY!! We are finally moving into our house. It has been a long, stressful journey (I feel weird calling it a journey, but my brain isn't working properly, so journey it is), but today we are becoming homeowners. 

This is the place. It's pee yellow with poop green shutters and a whopping 960 square ft with an outdated kitchen that may smell like old people (I'm lying... it doesn't smell like old people... or maybe I've just gotten used to the smell), but it's ours and we love it. It's the perfect starter home for us, and we are so thankful that things have worked out so perfectly. 

You can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow's post will be full of ridiculous pictures of us holding our thumbs up next to the "SOLD" sign. Until then, I think you should just keep reading to the end of this post. 

You may see a little of my old pal Mickey. And a little of the most humid place on the planet. And a whole lot of one of my newest blog friends! Libby is awesome and has a super cool tradition that involves Disneyworld, but I don't want to spoil everything. 

*******************************************************************************************

Waving hello from Florida, Homestead Florida to be exact which is about 30 miles south of Miami and about 100 miles from KeyWest. That's the same distance from KeyWest to Cuba. But you really didn't want to know that!? LOL Homestead to used to be nothing but farm land back in the 80's to mid 90's it's now grown to be a huge congested city. 

My name is Libby and I blog over here. This is my first guest post and I must say, I'm uber excited. Although, I must confess I'm a bit nervous too...I think I've typed this line over a hundred times, have stared at my screen for atleast 30 minutes, tapped my fingers, scratched my head and still my brain is blank.___________

  

Over in my little cyber space I blog about my life, my nieces, my honey, my bestfriends, my travels, my addictions and my obsessions with lists, and soon DIY projects.

This is me...

 I'm an Auntie to these 4 beautiful little princesses 

and these 2 little princess live with me.

 My heart belongs to this handsome fella

& I've loved this guy since I can remember.

Be sure to stop by, introduce yourself, and let's become friends!

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Make sure to stop by Libby's space and share your favorite Disney experience. Or, ya know, just say hello. 

Sunday Confessions

Goooooood Moooorning Blogland!! 


Happy Sunday, people! As per usual, it's time for Sunday Confessions, so grab a button and link on up!

 <center><a href="http://itsalyx.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6701442513_4c7153a301.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></center> 1. I think I'm becoming a sewing addict. Am I good? Not really [yet]. Have I had to rip out stitches more than once twice fifteen times? Probably. But you don't get good at something without practicing. This weekend I made a maxi dress (which I am totally wearing to church today) and a maxi skirt. Don't worry, you'll see pictures of both soon.

2. I'm looking at Formica for our countertops. Uhhh when did they start making formica countertops that actually look good? 

http://www.formica.com/

3. I watched "The Vanilla Ice Project" and liked it. One hit wonder turned house flipper who has his own TV show. Yeah, that's destined to be good.

4. I got paint in my eye yesterday. I don't think this is a confession, but I felt like telling the world, so there ya go. Observe the totally rockin' pajama shirt.

5. I am sooo excited for the Christmas in July link-up on Wednesday. Yes, that was a shameless plug. Get your posts ready, people! And if you haven't sent your package yet, I'll send you a biting fly in the mail. That's a lie. But I'll be sad, so send it, please!

That Time of the Month.

Happy Saturday! 

I'm just popping in to let you guys know that I've got some sponsorship spots left for August. I have 2 large ads, 6 medium, and 5 small. For each size ad, there is the ability to swap. If you want more information on pricing and what comes with your ad, go here.

Email me if you're interested [alyx2011@gmail.com]

Favorite Things Friday

Happy Friday!!! 


Hope you all are doing well and are ready for the weekend - I know I'm ready! We're going to be spending the weekend re-packing our stuff and getting it ready to move into our house on... MONDAY!!! So excited.

So anyway. Onto the favorite things this week.

1. My katniss braid. Seriously. This thing might replace the top knot as my go-to hairstyle. Since so many of you have asked for it... here's a tutorial. It's not the best, but it shows you how to do it.

2. Birthday cake. You guys, I love cupcakes. You know this. I also love birthday cake. Which would explain why I ate five slices last night and made myself sick. It was bad, and I learned my lesson - never eat more than three slices of that frosted goodness. And thank you, dear sister-in-law for having a birthday and letting me eat half of your cake by myself. 

3. My nephew. Ummm really, could this kid be any cuter? He gave me a hug and let me cuddle and kiss him. He also threw a tennis ball at my face, but let's focus on the positive, shall we? Great. I stole this picture from my sister-in-law simply because the kid won't sit still for more than a millisecond.

4. Thrifting. Oh my goodness, I am so glad to be back where there are thrift stores everywhere. Remember this chambray shirt? $2.50. It may not fit perfectly, but that's a 2-minute fix with my trusty sewing machine. Boom. 

5. These bootiful peoples. Let me tell you my favorite thing about each one as I go down the line. That way you will know exactly why you should clickety click. 

Shelby is such a sweetheart - she always has a kind word, and she is so upbeat and optimistic. Not to mention her adorable little boy and the fact that she is one absolutely gorgeous and glowing momma-to-be! 

Jennifer is hands-down one of the most genuine people that I have met in blogland. I love that she is so down-to-earth and kind. You know what else? She was my blog angel last month, and she was a dang good one! So supportive and kind! shop//facebook//twitter//instagram

I love how family-oriented Brooke is (and holy moly, does she have a big family)! It's very obvious that she is a caring and selfless person who always has a kind word, and I love that she can show that through her writing and her blog! facebook//instagram

Georgina is smart, friendly, and fun! Her blog has got a little of everything, and if you ever have a question, she's quick to answer! I love how dedicated she is to her work, her family, and life in general!facebook//twitter//pinterest
So there you have it - I hope you check each one of those ladies out, they truly are awesome, and I love reading each of their blogs! 
What are you guys doing this weekend? Anyone have any fun plans? 

A Day in the Life. Public Service Announcements.

Hey guys!! 


Hope you're all having an awesome week so far! Thank goodness it's almost Friday.

Some public service Announcements for you people:

1. I believe shorts are meant to cover more than your undergarments. If your boy short panties are hanging out of your shorts, you should probably invest in either some different underwear or different shorts. Preferably different shorts.

2. I've added some new prints & photographs to the shop over the past few weeks. Yay. Get 15% off through August 1st with code: BLOGGY15

3. Canned chicken is good for chicken salad, but not chicken enchiladas. I was desperate last week and didn't want to go to the store. Just doing my duty of warning you all so that you don't make the same mistake I did.

4. I am giving away a bracelet here. Entries are low, so you could win. Boom.

5. Thin is not always healthy, and not everyone can be thin. Please quit with this "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." Yeah, and I'm sure you'll be saying that when you die of problems caused by anorexia. Pay attention to your body type. If you're naturally bigger, nothing you can do will make you a stick, so don't kill yourself trying.

Last but not least... The following conversation with one of my besties is pretty much a daily occurrence in our lives. Especially when my husband steals my phone.

Happy Thursday!! 

WIWW. Blogger Heaven. Bucket Lists.

Linking up here.

shirt: goodwill pants: alloy sandals: target bracelets: cents of style (giveaway prize from Dearest Lou) earrings: f21 watch: fossil

Happy Hump Day!! 

Have you ever wondered why they call it that? I mean, I don't know about you, but a day named for humping seems a little silly. Maybe I just need to get my mind out of the gutter. I'm sure that's not what they meant when those geniuses came up with the nickname "Hump Day."

Anyway. Nice tangent, don't you think? I'm going to try to avoid tangents for the remainder of this post. I'm not making any promises, though. Speaking of tangents... best pickup line ever: I wish I was your derivative so that I could lie tangent to your curves. That's how Mike got me. Except not really.

So... where was I? Right - bucket lists. I don't really have one, but I decided to link up to the vlog thingy anyway. Just because I thought I could think of one on the fly. Not so sure I was right.


Finally. I hear that Anthropologie is like, a blogger heaven... am I right? I've never set foot in one of those stores, but after browsing a little, I kinda wish I could enter the giveaway I'm about to surprise you all with.

Sue has so generously offered to award one of you loverly people not one, but two amazing prizes. First, we have a $25 gift card to Anthropologie (aka Blogger Heaven). Second, we have a large ad space (200x300) on her blog! Enter to win using the rafflecopter widget below(Note: You must complete both mandatory entries, or you cannot win).

a Rafflecopter giveaway