Southern girl plowing her way through life making the rules up as she goes. Warning: likes to bake, curse, quote movies/literature, is tattooed, married to The Man and mother of two girls. We bring new meaning to the "griswald way of life". Come along for the ride!



Life is My Highway

Montana and North Dakota have become home.... dang it lol.

These Girls

Lord help me but these babies wear me out.... they are just perfect!

Superheroes

Yes, it's from last winter but I adore this shot...so us....

Duchess

This kid glows from the inside out... my almost 11 year old!

We are so smexy!

Favorite sport: embarrassing our kids in public

Princess

My mini-me is finding her own way in life

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Shark Week

Prepare yourself.... I warned you. My Princess is kinda of a hawt mess. Dave catches her digging around making a mess in the pantry. Her response to his outrage? Dad, I need chocolate.... leave me be, Daddy cause it's shark week. Yeah, she's christened that week of the month. Sweet Jesus... I can't breathe.

Bambis mom

She's a huntress. Shes also ready for the next. Momma gonna have a full freezer. Ill take my 14 year old over most any day.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Rough life

Soooo I'm soaking my cares away. I'm tired. Got new stock today,  spent time getting it online. Sold two pieces asap. Nice! Got our hang tags in.

Duchess had a friend over. It was squeal city. Spoilt her with a new origami owl locket....hers was custom to reflect her. Soccer charm. Piano charm. Birthstone.  Book charm. Cross. She loved.  So awesome to see her smile so big.

Princess had volleyball and a nap. She was up all night prepping her deer she shot. More on that....

Dave got the semifinal word.... we will b reloing. No Canada though. Thankfully.  North Dakota. we will take it. Closer to civilization.  I'm already house shopping.

Oh and it snowed. First snow of season.  Still dumping away out there!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Gym 1 me 0

I did it. I drug my ass back into the gym. It seriously was an accident.  Dave came in late and I was pulling an apple pie out of the oven. I was like want dinner (leftovers), pie or the gym.  Cause I'm a snarky B.

So there we were ten minutes later in the gym. Turning lights on and enjoying our stretches. Love that keyless entry crap. Peeps I'm very real and very comfy around my husband so when I'm stretching and loudly farted... I giggled.  Hes all "yo you farted..." and thats when it happened.  We heard them.

Apparently there is an evening yoga class that likes the lights dim and shit.... in the classroom off the main gym. They heard it all.

When they eventually rolled out.... a few only thankfully I was all causal on the elliptical. .. like yeah I farted.... so what.

Dave just shrugged and went to kick the boxing bags ass.

Now.... since I'm still waiting on my feet stuff I'm limiting my workouts  for first two weeks to low impact for my knees. :) so don t expect me to lose 20 lbs overnight. 

The pie doesn't help either. Crap.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Face punch

I'm sitting here at the dentist waiting on Duchess to get her teef cleaned. Its me, my gorgeous "feels like butter" orange purse, and the zit from hell. All sharing a couch. We're chatting. Zit says hello.

The sweet receptionist lady is within three feet making her reminder calls and smacking that damn gum like its gravy flavored.  Oh sweet hell.... I can't even look at her at this point. 

Monday, October 21, 2013

Not the Sharpest Tool in our Shed

I keep losing my new truck. I park and go about my business... then come out and wonder around the parking lot for like three minutes then I get smart and use the clicker to set off the alarm so I can aha! locate my truck. I swear the blonde hair dye is sinking through my hair and into my brain. I can't remember what color it is. This is a legitimate issue too. My new truck is a very classy blue (blue-grey) and in different lighting looks different colors. And since I promised Dave I wouldn't put all my girl stickers all over that bitch like I did my Expedition, well I have no visual clues. I just got done creating and printing invitations for my two upcoming trunk shows. Very exciting. All the first week of November, we will be seeing some uber fun peeps. My hair stylist in another town is hosting one and then a lady here in town is hosting another. Both will be in retail-ish settings. I really don't like the "home" shows.... dude, that's peoples home and their toliets and etc. Yeah, no......... I'm out. So the first will be held in her salon which is gorgeous space and a huge fireplace. The second is a good deal I worked with a brand new hotel in town. A major named hotel (for this area at least) which has a stunning business center and the manager... well she's in Lions Club with me. ;) I got a good deal. Now to get all my stock in and ready to roll. Duchess gave up on tap. I don't blame her bless her heart. She just wasn't having fun. She was enjoying the learning but they don't have beginner classes for all ages here. People here start at 4 and 5 and then work up. She was in a class with a ton of 4/5 year olds. It got old and frankly if she's not gaining confidence from something, we move on. I am all about my kids trying new things to gain confidence and learn about themselves.... hence the damn sax that still squeeks more than it should. Piano has at least gotten to the point where they play actual songs and I do so love to hear them practice. Duch was playing her upcoming Christmas pieces and then broke out into the theme song to Scooby Doo, LOVE! I love working in my little office and having them down the hall just playing away. And since I've gotten tougher about tv time during the week (hello, we need all A's and B's up in this murther) they seem to have more time to play. Dave is doing what Dave does. He rocks. I worry as I watch him juggle the responsiblity that is upon him and I just pray for him. The Lord has blessed him and he really is a great boss. (I'm biased but I love to listen to him work) The other day he was telling me a little story about how he was interviewing someone in their 50's. With a ton of experience and some in management. I guess the guy's first comment was "Dave, just want you to know I'm not out to get your job"... Dave cracks me up... he was all "If I have to worry about my job like that, I wouldn't be with this company"... so true and such a blessing. Never know where the Lord will take us but he has really blessed Dave's career and helped him find favour with his employers. Our family is so very lucky and blessed and we are aware of that fact. My day was bittersweet.... none of us have felt very good. Princess has slept most of the day away and is groggy which is just not her. The rest of us are kinda dragging and lazy. The funk is upon us. But we managed to get to church (and thanks to the wind I flashed the truck next to us - I was wearing the cutest pair of brown panties mom, you'd been proud)... and that was pretty much it. Duchess and Dave are trying to build a sample of a microscope for her science extra credit project. So far they are using my hair clips, a paper towel roll, a CD and alot of little pieces of metal and tools from the man cave. It's kinda a hot mess. When they are done, she wants to spray paint the whole thing pink. ummmmm , ok. Poor Murphy has the chili poops. I wish you'd read that wrong but no, you read it right. Dave made a big ole pot of his famous chili (GF of course for me) and then we baked some potatoes and shoved chili and cheese inside for a lazy dinner. Yum right. Well Dave has gotten into this habit of putting his plate down next to his chair for Murphy to "clean" the last of it before it goes into the dishwasher. Turns out, he walked away and left half his bowl of stud chili in his chair when his phone rang in another room. Murphy finished that off for him. Then promptly began the whining at the door parade. He's pooped chili poops three times so far. So here I sit, up with the pooper cause everyone is in bed. Sigh........... Wish me luck. My goal in the morning is to get up and make everyone breakfast....... put on a damn bra (sports bra works), sweats and shoes so that after I drop the kids off at school I can go straight to the gym. Yeah, read that right too, i joined back to the damn gym. It's either that or I'ma name my Muffintop. Gym it is.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

and..... again

Well it turns out all that patting myself on my back was for naught... those damn hangtags are the death of me. They are still the wrong DPI. So I've turned it over to my BFF with the amazing touch and instead I'll get back to what I know. Doing laundry and counting inventory.

Friday, October 18, 2013

CEO

So I'm wading through purchase orders, and I'ma happy girl. I have new stock on the way.... Thanks Obama for the government shutdown that held up my shit in customs. I'm so excited. We have leggings coming in that are just too cute for words. We have dresses and unique sweaters. I absolutely adore what I do. I get to shop for a living.

My bags came in today. They are very sweet. I hate cheap bags and although I'm not ready to have custom bags though. The initial cost of setting up the design and run is just not something I'm willing to pay... so I took our two main colors and rolled with it. I got a clearance bag, sweet little red plastic shopper with pop out bottom and some blue tissue paper. We already have our shipping bags but we needed something for trade shows and trunk shows. Can't really be sending people away with recyclable walmart leftover bag now can I? (pssst: totally did that last time) So I have my stickers I've printed with our logo on my own printer.... I just toss one of them on the corner of the bag and there you go. Affordable for now. :)

My banner also came in. Since we are doing more trade and trunk shows... need something. So I made a banner online for $20. Seriously, $20 for a huge banner. I love finding way cheap shit.

Now seriously fun.... I've created our very own hanging price tags. You know the kind.... 2 inches by 4 inches... double sided... one side is just gorgeous photo of my kid in one of the outfits and the other side has some squiggles and our official log and "item: and price:" nice........... I finally figured out my damn DPI problem, thanks Mae for talking me off my ledge. I'm awaiting the final proof and then I'll have 1000 of those babies coming my way.... in fact.. let me figure out a way to blank our store name and I'll upload the front of the tag here...


See, there you go. This is my brilliant design. I love this photo of her and the effects. I just hid our store name. It's been a long time since I've gotten to really play with digital design. I'm in love with out store website too, again something I've slaved over.

Tomorrow I have big plans. I have Dave and I are having a corporate meeting. I do so love those. They have cookies and usually a shake. Our company is the best. Legally here are the officials for the company:

CEO: me
CFO: Dave
VP Ops: Princess
VP Marketing: Duchess (kid is a marketing genius, don't laugh)

Anyway, we are working on logistics. Princess and I have two trunk shows coming up and two trade shows ... in the next 30 days. Good lord. So Dave is helping us to build a portable changing room. What better way to let people fall in love with our goods than to try them on! Wish us luck.

More soon....

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

As I laid in bed last night....


  • thankful for my husband - we've grown so close and he's amazeballs. I pray for his continued favour with his job. I am thankful that he lets the Lord lead him. I'm floored by his love for us.
  • my children - they are just astounding. Duchess is so smart, gentle hearted and has a dry wit that leaves me speechless. Princess is vibrant, loyal and full of life, I find myself smiling whenever shes around.
  • my Murphy - that boy just brings me such love. He is my constant companion and frankly, I spoil him rotten. He has his own comfy electric blanky because this little fellow deserves to be warm and frankly it's already getting butt pimple cold up in this murther. 
  • we are together - there are so many drawbacks to life on the move life we live. However, I really can't think of any right now. I'm with my person and my children are thriving. We are together. I'll take that!
  • my work - the shop is thriving and it blows my mind. If we continue as we are, will be turn a profit by Jan 1st. Recouping and repaying our savings for the initial capital funding. 
  • my health - after months of tests and doctor visits, we finally have an answer to my hip and leg pain... my broke down ass has an ankle deteriorating and collapsing arches so basically it's all about my feet yo. fun. but what a blessing. stuff that can be addressed and otherwise I'm a healthy horse.
  • the gym - that I rejoined but still haven't been. day four. we. will. see. do. not. judge. me.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Last two weeks in pics

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Lbs

Why I can never lose weight.... seriously :)

I'm sitting here looking for the perfect indoor cabana so I have a changing room for trade shows. And I'm snacky.

I'm trolling the kitchen. I sit back down. I get up and check the freezer. Then I sit back down.

Dave, without looking up from the tv.... "get some chips, you like crunchy"

Me.... "oh and there's cheesy"

Dave "nachos, beast, make me some"

Yeah, we're a pair aren't' we.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Slacker

I'm just tired. I need a nap. I've been working my butt off getting the business up and running. We've had some orders and some shipments. We are stocking our own closets too. lol.... having a blast. Tomorrow we are having our first real trunk show. I'm holding it at a community center area in town and very excited to see how many people come through.... traffic equal sales. Wish me luck :) More soon, after my nap. Seriously I'm beat