Friday Five and Friday Letters

Hello all! Sorry I missed Friday Five and Friday letters for last week. Last Friday we went out to dinner, went grocery shopping and then we both came home and crashed from a really long busy week! This week was long and busy too, but I don't plan to crash too early tonight. So let's get on with Friday Five shall we!

1. Keds

Okay! Lately I have been a little obsessed with Keds shoes! My co-worker, Sandy, had bought a couple of pairs for work just recently because they are so comfortable and at Hallmark, you are constantly moving and lifting and moving and lifting. To work at a store like ours, you really need cute comfortable shoes to wear. They are having a major sale on many of their styles and I want want want! The two pairs above are the ones on my wish list! Hopefully I will be wearing them very soon!

2. New stuff at work

We have been getting the cutest stuff at the store lately. I am in love with all of it! My two favorite things that we've got are new beach decor for our beach section and wooden plaques and mugs with adorable quotes on them! I mean, can it get any cuter than this for home decor? Nope, sure can't! I love beachy decor and I love decor with quotes on them. Perfect combo! I don't care if I am moving to a place where it's mainly snowy and cold, I am still keeping my beachy bathroom and I am still keeping all of my beachy/springish/summerish decor. 

3. Disney home decor

Lately I have also been thinking about expanding my Disney decor. I never thought I have would have Disney stuff in my home, not because I don't love Disney because I definitely do, but because I never thought it would go with my other decor. Boy was I wrong. The Disney plaques can go with anything in your home. Somehow, my plaques just work with everything else. I also LOVE my Cinderella snow globes and my Beauty and the Beast figurine. These two movies are my absolute favorite Disney movies. Just having these in my home bring me happiness and sometimes motivation to get through a long day! I suggest you bring out your inner child and buy some Disney decor for your home too! 

4. Leo cuteness 

Ughhhh my dog is so stinking cute. He makes the cutest faces and I swear he smiles and winks at me sometimes. He just amazes me. When he sleeps is when he is at his maximum cuteness! Sometimes he smiles in his sleep and then my heart melts. I look at how much I love him and I cannot believe I love an animal so much! I mean, I never knew you could love an animal this much. It's crazy!

5. Friday nights at home 

So, tonight we were going to go to the movies to see World War Z, but the weather got really nasty. We decided just to stay in tonight. We did step out to get some yummy Wendy's and strawberry lemonades from there, but then we came back home and have been watching other zombie movies instead of WWZ. We first watched 28 Days Later and now we are watching Zombie Land. Yes, my husband and I love zombie movies and yes we love The Walking Dead! We are "that" couple. Sometimes just staying in and watching movies is the best way to bring in the weekend

Hellooooo Friday Letter's!

Dear Jarrett, You are so cute when you watch zombie movies. You just love them and it's funny to watch how fixated you are on the TV. This is just one of the many bazillion reasons why I love you! Dear Leo, You are just the most snugly thing ever. As soon as I get a blanket to lay with on the couch you just have to come over and snuggle your way under it. You love to be covered just like I do. You also love to be warm like I do. You are your mommy's son, that's for sure! Dear Alaska, In a little over a month Jarrett, Leo and I will be all packed up and on our way to you for four to eight years of our life. I can't believe how quick everything is happening. Dear first day of Summer, Yay you're finally here! I need to enjoy you while I can because soon I won't live thirty minutes from a beach anymore or have a pool anymore! Boo!

 

 

 

What is every one's plans for the weekend?

Are you having a lazy Friday night at home too?

Did anyone do anything fun for the first day of Summer?

 

Katie<3

Thirty-One and Scentsy

Okay you guys. I have mentioned briefly before wanting to become an independent consultant for a company as a side career. Of course I am still continuing my full time position search for Alaska and I intend to start my career there, but I also want to have a second job with a second income. Who knows, having this as a second job could turn into a second career for me. Hmmm. There are so many amazing companies out there, but I believe I have narrowed it down to two companies that I am considering investing my $99 with. Thirty-One and Scentsy are at the top of my list. I personally have friends and co-workers that are consultants for both companies, so it is hard to pick between them when my friends make them both sound wonderful to work for.

Thirty-One is a great company. I mean, who would not want to sell these products? These bags are out of this world adorable and durable. They have a bag for everything! They have beach totes, grocery shopping totes, totes and organizers for your work office or home office, organizers for all rooms in your house, gym and work out bags, travels bags, diaper bags and any other bags for managing babies and kids, etc. You name it, there is a bag for it. Plus you can get any bag monogrammed! I don't know about you, but I love monogrammed stuff. My love for monogrammed merchandise started with L.L. Bean when I got my first book bag with my initials on it. LOVE! 

[My co-worker, Michele, sells Thirty-One and brought us a catalogue to look through. I found so many cute things that I want. I love the huge utility bags. They would be perfect for our move coming up!]

[On this page they show and talk about the organizers and bags for a home office. I cannot wait to have my own home office one day with all kinds of cute Thirty-One stuff and really cute stationary! Having my own home office has always been a dream of mine!]

[Here are the diaper and baby storage bags. You better believe that when Jarrett and I start our family soon that I will have tons of these! I want my initials on the big bags and I would love to have a bag for each of my children with their initials on the bags. A little too ahead of myself? You bet!]

[On this page, Thirty-One introduces you to their collection for the car. LOVE! I could so use this stuff for our drive to Alaska. My goodness, I could drop some money with this company!]

[Ahhhh more cutesy baby stuff! Look at that stroller all decked out in cute bags! I cannot wait to have kids just for these cute bags! Haha!]

[On this page they talk about their grocery bags for grocery shopping. I would love to have that kitchen and have those bags full of groceries on my kitchen counters!]

[Thirty-One has a monthly special every month. This month if you spend $35 you can get a large utility tote for $10! Aghhhh I am hoping to do this when I get paid again! I wanttttt!]

[Above, they explain on their website how you can become a Thirty-One consultant. Women even have their career testimonies on there so that other women can see what the company can bring to them. Some of these women have made phenomenal careers for themselves with this company! It's amazing! I could be one of these women!]

Now, on to Scentsy! I've also mentioned before that I am quite obsessed with any smelly stuff(lotions, sprays, plug in scents, etc.), candles, waxes, wax burners, tart burners, votive holders and basically anything that involves burning scents. My home is full of candles and adorable candle holders. I love it! Scentsy is a company that sells wax bars, wax burners, plug ins and so so much more! They are a candle lovers dream. I want to sell products that I am passionate about. After my first order of six Scentsy bars, I was hooked! Their smells are right up there with Yankee Candle and they last just as long if not longer then Yankee Candle! Score! My good friend and co-worker, Heather, sells Scentsy on the side while also working two jobs. She is awesome to juggle so much. She says what is so good about Scentsy is that the product sells itself, so she does not have to try sooo hard to sell the products and make her monthly quota. So, say I get my full time job in Alaska and work as an independent consultant as well. I could totally handle both just like Heather does. I've never had more than one job at the same time, so I am anxious to get to work and really further my career in many different ways.

[Scentsy does a wax warmer of the month every month. They have large warmers and smaller warmers. I looooove warmers. I only have a Yankee Candle one that is in my upstairs bathroom, but now I want a warmer for my downstairs bathroom and for my kitchen. Maybe one for our room too. Yikes, maybe I want one for every room in my house. Obsessed much? You bet!]

[Here is a sneak peak of some of their large wax warmers. They have so many different collections and designs to choose from. They literally have a warmer for your specific taste. They even have college football ones. Now if they start an NFL collection, I will be buying all of the Ravens merchandise. Boo ya!]

[Here are the Scentsy bars. Scentsy offers different kinds of packages with all kinds of products that you can choose from. The package that I recently purchased was the six Scensty bars for $25. So cheap, right? I bought this package about a month ago and I am still on my first bar called "My Home." It has lasted me so long that I don't need to change out my bars just yet. I bet you these six bars will last me six months or longer.]

[Scentsy even offers Scentsy buddies for your children. They have these scent packs that you can put inside your Scentsy buddy for a long lasting smell. Put these buddies in your child's backpack, closet, sports bag or travel bag for a long lasting smell. Plus, the stuffed buddy is adorable. Kids will love them! I might want one for myself! :P]

[Besides candles and candle type accessories, Scentsy also has "Layers" which is their skin care line. They have hand soaps, lotions, lip gloss, lip balms, etc. Like I said, anything smelly, I love it.]

 

So now you see; I have a big decision on my hands to figure out which company I want to work for. I want to go with a company soon, pay my $99 start up kit fee, start my business, and have a little bit of income while transitioning to my new life in Alaska. I have always wanted to do something like this. It is just mustering up the guts to invest the money and get started. I think I am just afraid of investing the money and then going no where with the opportunity. I know that doing something like this is a huge risk, so now I just have to trust that I can do it and make time for it regardless of having a busy life as well. Hey, maybe I could sell both products and have two businesses? My goodness, I am always trying to do too much! What is a girl to do?

 

Do you know anyone that sells these products?

Know anyone that is a consultant for more than one company?

If you had to pick a company, who would you pick?

Anyone living in Alaska as a consultant?

 

Katie<3



Sentimental furniture, base housing and future home buying

So, with our big upcoming move, I can't help but think about our new home and what it will look like. We will be living in base housing, so I am a little nervous considering we have never lived in base housing before. Our first home together was an off base apartment/town home that we rented because we didn't want to live in base housing. Now we have decided to live on base in Alaska because we feel it will be easier for us living on base in such a different climate, plus we won't have to go through the hassle of searching for a house to rent. We are currently on a waiting list for a house and I can't help but think about what it will look like, if it will be bigger then our town home now, how many bedrooms will it have, will the kitchen be bigger than the one I have now, will we have washer and dryer hookups and will we be able to start our family in this home. I'm driving myself crazy over looks that I feel as if I'm losing sight of what's important.

My husband thought of the idea of us getting rid of our old furniture and buying all new stuff when we get there. As awesome as the idea sounds of buying all new stuff and starting fresh with a new house and new decor, I am feeling really nostalgic about our furniture that we have now. Practically all of our furniture was bought or given to us from our families when we got married. They all busted their butts to make sure that we had all the furniture that we needed and that we were able to make our house a home. Eventually we will buy all new stuff, but for now, I want to keep holding on to our memories of this house. I've posted some pictures before of our rooms in our house, but I feel so compelled in this post to show you all of our furniture and who bought/gave it to us. 

After we got married, we didn't buy a big house and buy all new everything like most married couples do. My husband already had this town home and I moved into it with him after my college graduation. Our family and friends all came together to help us with our town home and I am forever grateful for them. I wish y'all could have seen the house before I moved in. It was basically a man cave and I hated living in the house at first. I knew I had to put my creative touch on it to make it a home. With all the furniture from my family and with my somewhat interior decorating skills, our home has transformed within the past three years. After three years, our first home finally looks, well, like a home. I love it!

[Both couches came from my brother, Matt. He was buying his first home and all new furniture when I moved to Virginia, so he gave us his old couches. They have held up so well for us.]

[Papasan chair that we bought with a huge Pier One gift card from Jarrett's dad and step mom]

[Jarrett bought this coffee table and end table set from Target right before I moved in]

[Jarrett bought the TV stand from Walmart before I moved in]

[Our whole living room]

[Our dining room table as a Christmas present from my mom]

[Computer desk from my mom when she got a new computer desk for Christmas]

[My mother in law bought us this cute little wicker organizer for Christmas]

[Our whole dining room]

[This full size bed was my bed growing up. We first used it in our master bedroom, but then we bought a queen size bed for us and put this bed in the guest bedroom. The white wicker headboard is from the wicker bed room set that I grew up with at my mom's.]

[My mom bought me this little end table to go with my bed set when she bought it for me years and years ago. It has been the best bed side table.]

[This wicker chair is from my mother in law. It was originally a tan wicker, but she spray painted it white for me to match the other white wicker furniture that we have.]

[This little wicker stool is from my mother in law too. I am just borrowing it from her as a TV stand for now.]

[The whole guest bed room. We have the rest of the white wicker furniture in our master bedroom. Eventually we are going to buy brand new bedroom furniture for our room and move the rest of the wicker into the guest room so that there will be a complete matching bedroom set in there finally.]

[My dad made me this hope chest a long time ago. I believe he gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday. From my sixteenth birthday and on, my dad would give me gifts throughout the years that I could put in it for when I got married. By the time I married Jarrett, I had just about everything that I needed for the kitchen inside my hope chest. Ten whole years of collecting stuff for my future home with my husband. I can't wait for my dad to build one for my daughter. Hands down, this is the piece of furniture that I will never be able to live without. Plus, he engraved my whole name into it. How awesome is that?

[The wicker dresser that belongs to my bedroom set growing up]

[The wicker chest that also goes with the wicker set. Can you tell Leo has chewed on it?]

[This wicker bed side table use to be tan and it goes with the wicker chair in the guest bedroom. This also came from my mother in law and she painted it as well.]

[Jarrett bought this TV stand which is exactly like our TV stand downstairs. I've prettied up both TV stands well.]

[Our whole bedroom. Obviously it is my favorite place in the house! It is my oasis for sure!]

I'm not going to lie. I have spent a lot of time being jealous of other young couples for buying a home and buying all brand new furniture and decor for it. It's not like Jarrett and I cannot afford to buy a nice house, it's just we choose not to right now. We choose not to rush into the home buying part of our life. I don't understand why young couples immediately rush into buying a home as soon as they get married, especially military couples. That's one main reason we are not buying right now. There is no point in buying a house right away when you are military. I say rent for a while, save your money, then buy a home. We rather rent or live on base for a while and save a lot of money before buying our first home. We've decided that if we stay in Alaska longer than four years(we might request to stay for eight if we love it)we will buy a house and rent it out when we move again. We do not want to put off buying a house for when Jarrett retires from the Air Force, so we will buy if we stay in Alaska for eight years. For now, base housing it is and I will be thankful for our new house just like I am thankful for our house now and everything that's in it!

Anyone living in base housing? Do you like it? What base are you living on?

Anyone have any sentimental furniture too? Was it given to you or did you buy it yourself?

Any tips for home buying in Alaska?

Katie<3