Easy "XO" Rustic Wall Art

What You Need:

▲ jute twine

▲ a piece of driftwood {or wooden dowel}

▲ X & O wooden letters {mine are from Walmart & came with the rustic finish already + were only 98¢ each}

▲ an electric drill

You could, of course, choose whatever letters you like, but I'm just a sucker for the old romantic X + O.  First, carefully drill one hole through each letter {I used a 3/16" drill bit for this project}.  Then, carefully drill through your drift wood or wooden dowel in 2 places {I centered mine & made them approx. 4" apart}.  Depending on how long you want your letters to hang, you may want more or less twine {eyeball it & then cut your jute}.  Next, thread your jute twine through the 2 holes in your drift wood or wooden dowel & keep the drift wood from slipping by creating a pair of double knots at the bottom of each hole.  Attach your 2 letters next, securing with a double knot at the end of each piece of twine & trim off any extra twine.  Hang + enjoy knowing you made this little rustic charmer with your very own hands!  Mine's going out on our mini screened-in patio for now.

Our Debt Story // Update Vol. 1

So, way back in October {2017}, I shared some raw-ness over here about our debt.  It was technically just my Mr.'s debt, but then I said, "I do," & it became {like so many things beautiful & not-so-much} ours.  {I'd like to quickly say to my man... Most things are beautiful, my love!}

Here we are, a little over 7 months later {& a little over a year & a half into our marriage}, & I wanted to share a little money matters update with you guys.

We are officially out of credit card debt!!!

Praise God for that!!!  Can I get an amen? 😄

Now, in our debt snowballing we've got one thing more to go, &, of course, it's our biggest {&, yes, it's the formidable student loans}, but I know with God + each other we can do all things!  We didn't realize that while we pay one lump sum monthly, the loan was actually divided up into three separate parts {& one of those parts had a higher interest rate than the rest + was the smallest amount owed, so we were able to {again, thank You, Jesus} snowball it & pay that one off}.  It actually feels so much more manageable to me to know that we have two more chunks to go, instead of one big enormous sum.  Another thing we learned by calling the loan company was that if we set up automatic monthly payments they lower the interest rate a bit.  So, we're definitely taking them up on that one!

Ways We've Been Saving to Pay Off Debt...

• selling stuff we no longer use/want on eBay
• we took stuff that wouldn't be worth it to sell on eBay & had a yard sale {& I think we are going to have one more soon}
• cheaper/free date nights
• saying no to things we don't have to have right now

We definitely haven't been perfect on all these things, but we've been trying, & I'm grateful at how far we've come + can't wait to get to the finish line & be debt-free!

Thank You, heavenly Father, for Your provision!

Things To Do Before You & Your Husband Get Pregnant

1. Start taking prenatal vitamins!  A month or 2 ago I asked my doctor if it was okay to go ahead & start taking prenatal vitamins since my husband & I were about to start trying to conceive.  She answered with a resounding "yes," & said ideally you should start taking them at least 3 months prior to trying.  These gummy ones are my go-to & can be found at pretty much any pharmacy/Target/Walmart.

2. Figure out your cycle {as best you can}.  Let's face it, not every girl has the standard 28-day-never-late cycle {kudos if you do}.  So, start charting your period/symptoms with a handy app.  I've tried a couple different versions {& there are plenty out there}, but the one I currently use & am happy with is Flo.  It lets me enter lots of info + gives me ovulation prediction dates + will change into super handy pregnancy mode once a baby is conceived!  If your cycle is more unpredictable, don't let trying to figure it out add more stress to your life.  Try a friendly app like Flo, &, well, go with the flow.  Ovulation prediction kits are super helpful, too, & let you see if your app prediction dates are accurate + when to get on with the baby making! 😉

3. Make sure you have a good OB/GYN you are comfortable with + give them a call/schedule a visit if you have any concerns.  Do this, even if you feel like your concerns may be silly - it's worth your peace of mind!

4. Work on your finances.  If you are in debt {like us + the majority of Americans {so sad}}, work hard with your spouse to be paying things off like crazy, because once that positive pregnancy test happens you'll need to most likely put a hold on putting all your extra cash towards debt + start paying closer to the minimum due to save up for baby + mama care.

5. De-stress your life.  Stress can wreak havoc on trying to conceive, so pray, spend time with God, walk, try yoga, watch your favorite funny movie... whatever de-stressing looks like for you.  And note, this is not a one time learning, but a continual learning of how to relax + trust God's care + perfect timing for your life.  Give yourself some grace, too, 'cause none of us is perfect, sister.

6. Organize your home.  If there's one thing I don't like to imagine, it's being so very pregnant + trying to clean/find things in a cluttered home.  I don't want to go there.  Again, this isn't going to be perfect, but find a few ways to clean/organize your space {on your budget} now & get those habits into place.  It will be worth it for your sanity/calm in the future.  I've recently gotten hooked on this thrifty organizing channel on YouTube {this girl is so awesome + a mom}!  {Apparently I've made it to the point in my life where watching organizing videos is a hobby... Oh, dear.}

7. Have fun + travel + have adventures with your spouse, because most likely this season of just you & him will not last forever {or even very long in the grand scheme of things}.  Savor it + make the most of it.  Once a baby comes, you will never have this time again when you aren't anyone's parents!  Make it sweet & memorable.

8. Pray for your future babies!  I remember the season of countless prayers I prayed for my husband before I even knew if he existed.  It was a sweet yet difficult time, & the prayers to my perfect loving heavenly Father brought me right where I needed to be - before Him seeking His heart + sharing all of mine.  Now's the time for you & your husband to do the same for your future kiddos.  Bring the desires of your heart to the Savior, Jesus, & don't forget to ask Him to bless, protect, & grow those sweet future blessings into righteous men & women that belong to Him.

Currently {April 2018}

💮 Loving... the smell of wild honeysuckle that's filling the air on our walks.

💮 Working... on creating a lovely patio space to enjoy {& I'm almost done}!

💮 Watching... Relative Race.  This season has been sooo good & I can't wait to see who wins!

💮 Enjoying... this new shampoo & conditioner.  It has really been doing what it claims for me!

💮 Praising... for springtime, health, safety, family, work, my love, having my car back after a week in the shop, & Jesus!

💮 Excited... to go to Six Flags very soon!  I'm not a roller-coaster girl in the least, but Dan is {well, he's a roller-coaster guy}, but it should still be fun.  He has free tickets through work + they even feed us.  The last time we went we were just in the earlyish stages of dating.

💮 Praying... for God to open a door for Dan in a different work position he'd truly enjoy + for our future babies! {No, not pregnant yet.}

Dollar Store Upcycle // Easy Wall Art {Made from a Gift Bag!}

I was recently on the hunt for a cheap bit of wall art for our patio space.  While browsing Dollar Tree I happened upon an adorable gift bag & I thought to myself, "I think this is it!"  I snagged a simple 11X14 frame before I left the store, so the total cost for this project was just $2!

Simply cut one side of the gift bag out, trimming to fit your frame, & place inside!  It's really that easy.

❤

Looking for more cheap art?  Think about elevating these items to frame-worthy status... greeting cards, silk scarves, vintage postcards, wrapping or wall paper samples, sheet music, pressed flowers/leaves, fabric... The possibilities are limitless!

Our 1st Hike of Spring

We started a bit late this year, but we finally got our 1st spring hike in on April 14th.  The East End Loop is what we accomplished on Pine Mtn... a little over 3.4 miles in all.  Hopefully, we'll be adding more to the list soon!

Gifts // Vol. 24

1,554. seeing her little tear-stained face light up when I told her not to listen to that boy who said the rotten lie words because "You are a beautiful girl!"

1,564. dinner + games with friends

1,567. my gift of a husband - I love him

1,575. mug cakes in the microwave

1,586. a God who is forever faithful & always pursues me

1,589. making it to church on time after I forgot about the time change

1,605. shopping trips where I don't buy anything

1,608. for the way You made the stars & that they still shine

1,623. dear Leila, home with You

1,647. taxes done & money back

Date Night Ideas // April 2018

💑 Go to the library together & pick out a movie or 2 to borrow {at most libraries this is free to do with a library card}.  Then, go home, pop some popcorn, & enjoy this date-night-in on the cheap!

💑 Gather some friends {married or single} & have a group game night date.  Ask guests to bring some of their favorite board/video games if you don't have many.  Don't forget the snacks!

💑 Find the closest fair or mini amusement park & go have an adventure together.

💑 Play putt-putt golf together + go out for a treat afterwards.

💑 Look for a warm day when gentle April showers fall {i.e.: no lightening/thunder}, & go out & play/dance/run in the rain together.

💑 Go seed/plant shopping together & start a little garden {whether in pots or somewhere in your yard}.  Be sure to continue to water/tend your garden together as it grows + take the time as you care for your plants to talk about the growth in your own relationship.

Ways We Save $!

• Nix cable, magazine/box subscriptions, etc.  We even got rid of Netflix recently, 'cause we just didn't need it.
• Eat in!  This doesn't mean we never go out - in fact it's one of Dan's favorite things to do - but eating out is typically way more expensive than eating in.  So, more often than not, I make dinner for us at home. {Bonus: It can be a whole lot healthier that way, too!}
• Gather all your unwanted/don't-need-stuff & have a yard sale.  We did this recently, & even though we didn't have any big ticket items, we ended up earning a little over $150!
• Sell stuff on eBay.  If it's likely to earn much more on eBay than at a yard sale, we put it online + pray for a bidding war to break out! 😉
• Shop smarter with the free Flipp app that lets you check multiple stores' weekly ads + view coupons, etc.
• Check out books, DVDs, & CDs at the local library instead of buying.
• Sign-up for Ebates & earn $ back on purchases from lots of stores you're likely already shopping at!  It feels a little like getting paid for shopping, 'cause it basically kinda is.

Monthly Recap // March 2018

➴   ➶   ➴   ➶   ➴   ➶   ➴   ➶   ➴

➵ Went on a field trip with my 2nd graders to former president Jimmy Carter's childhood home in Plains, GA.  It was freezing!!!  Instead of eating outside like we were supposed to, the staff took pity on us, & we all crowded into the hallway of Jimmy's house & had our lunch on the floor.

➵ We enjoyed a couple dinners + game nights with friends this month.

➵ Spent an afternoon gazing at tables full of gorgeous camellias + all the other exhibits at a local art/history museum.

➵ Saw Broadway's Beauty & the Beast on a date night!  It was put on by a local private school & they did a phenomenal job!  Lots of little girls in the audience were decked out in frilly yellow-gold Belle dresses, & I may or may not have worn a yellow silk ruffle blouse myself.

➵ A very dear friend of mine went home to Jesus after 100 years on this earth.  Leila was a gift from above to me in my high school years & on into college and after.  Whenever we got together there was lots of laughter.  I will never forget her.

➵ Spent a busy spring break traveling to Chattanooga solo for my friend's funeral {I'm so thankful I was able to make it to this} + spending time with all my family up there.

➵ I made it safely back to Columbus from Chattanooga {through the Atlanta crazy & all the in between} only to have a lady back her car into the side of mine in a parking lot after I got back home.