I'm at Sharde's Today

So, I might not have time to play on my blog, but I did have time to stop by the wonderful Sharde's blog for a guest post!

If you're here from The Style Projects, welcome! I know today's guest post was about fashion faux pas, but I also blog my outfits from time to time. Once, I even documented my own fashion faux pas.  And once, I dressed up like a cute lumberjack.

For those of you that document you outfits, what are some tips/tricks you can give me for remembering to take pictures?  I wake up way before hubs and by the time he gets home, I can't stand to be in my binding work clothes a moment longer. 

 How do you take your outfit photos?

I leave you with an completely unrelated but oh-so-adorable picture of my son's feet at a splash park in Iowa.  Still mourning the end of our summer but am so thankful for it.

Today is a Great Day

You know the first part of Cinderella where she wakes up and birds are singing and she's singing and the sun in shining?

That's me today.

Here's why:

First:
Today Matt and I are celebrating our three year anniversary.  Three years ago we made it official, in front of 75 people.  Beside a lake, under the hot (98 degrees) Texas sun, sheltered by two shade trees, our siblings standing by our sides, we got hitched.  My father in law married us and I read e.e. cummings.

One thing I will say about my wedding day is that is was FUN.  We danced, we laughed, we loved.  It was a beautiful day and it was the start of three beautiful years together.

So far, out of this marriage was born a baby and most importantly,  a singular family unit that will last forever.

Today is a happy day.

I love you so dearly Matt.  Happy anniversary, babe.

Second reason today is so awesome:
I am guest posting over at My World Made By Hand.  Jess is  a genius in my book and she let little old me post a craft over on her blog.  It's an honor, it's a privilege and I would LOVE it if you would go on over there and comment the heck out of it.  Consider it your anniversary gift to me.


I hope your day is just as lovely as mine. 

How Blogging Has Changed Both Motherhood and Me {Guest Post by the Babby Mama}

Today I am super excited to introduce the Babby Mama, mama to the Babby and author of the blog I Know How is Babby Formed. She is also author of a real live book called:. iDo: Planning Your Wedding with Nothing But 'Net .  You guys, a real live published author, here on my blog! I'm giddy.
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Being a mama is a thankless job… or is it? Mamas lose themselves in motherhood… or do they? Once upon a time, maybe, when there was no one cheering a mama's efforts on.

Clean the loo? No one sees it. Cook a gourmet meal? It's inhaled so fast no one tastes it. (If they even eat it, in the case of picky toddlers.) Go to work every day to support your family? The cheers aren't there, and in their place there may even be criticism from family or even strangers. Get your kids out of the house on time and the best you get is a "Doesn't everyone?"

And yet I still don't think motherhood is a thankless job. Not nowadays. Do note that I'm not suggesting that husbands or partners and kids or strangers are suddenly thanking mamas everywhere for everything we do. That the world is suddenly extra supportive of working moms. That motherhood is on the pedestal it ought to be on. Nope! It's still pretty unlikely that anyone is going to spontaneously notice that you cleaned the kitchen today.

So who's cheering mothers on? WE are. The other mothers. We're online and we're blogging, and with some minor exceptions, WE are the ones who say things like "You managed to get your kids out of the house on time today? Go you!" and "That you even found the time to cook dinner instead of ordering pizza is amazing" and "By working, you're showing your daughter that she can be anything she wants to be and that's great" and "Woman, you do SO much!"

Blogging, I think, has changed motherhood for the better. So what if no one at home necessarily notices that we haven't quit doing all of the little things that keep a household happy and running smoothly? (And just how fast do they notice when we take a break and don't do one little, jeez?) Our online besties are there, whether it's attention we're after or friends or commiseration or advice or even a little cheerleading. Because everyone deserves some applause for successfully crossing off all those little tasks that make up the mega to-do list that is motherhood.

It's mamas who are doing the applauding.

As for how blogging has changed me, that's where aforementioned attention comes in. Before I became a mama, I had a lot more time for things that might earn me some praise. Writing fiction comes to mind, and submitting it to tiny literary journals who'd then publish it in tiny magazines I'd never actually see. Painting. Dancing, which for me means tap. Dorky, I know, but once I was even in a rock band! And how can I be in a rock band when I am exhausted by 10 p.m.? How can I tap when the very sound scares my toddler?

Besides being an amazing way to meet other mamas, blogging has been a way to get back out from under my rock to a place where I can at least open up and share what I'm doing with other people. And you know, said people – by which I mean all the other mamas – have responded in very positive ways. Hearing some of that applause again has lifted me up and inspired me to try new things and reclaim a little bit of the person I was before so I'm not just a mama, but also me again. I think blogging is helping most of us mamas do that.

And how can that NOT be awesome? I know a lot of people put down the "mommy bloggers" but with everything I've said above, I think the mark it's made on motherhood has been nothing but beautiful.

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I love the Babby Mama and I know you love her now too. Check her blog out and say hi.
Christa, thank you so much for posting! I am truly honored.

Guest Post: Ginger from Literally Inspired

Today I would like to introduce my friend {Gin}ger over at Literally Inspired.  I love Ginger's blog because I always find inspiration when I'm there.  Y'all are in for a real treat today, so enjoy!
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it feels like home over here!
in real life gin and i would definitely hang out on the regular.
our husbands would drink beer together.
and our boys would have the most awesome play dates.

for those of you who don't know me, my name is ginger and i blog over at literally inspired.
i run a mixed bag kind of blog.
the premise of literally inspired is to share my love of books.
sound nerdy enough for you?
don't worry i also share awesome crafts and diy projects too.

a couple of weeks ago gin asked me what she can do to get toph crafting.
i am still new in the parenting game so i really had to think about it.
my son doesn't like to get his hands dirty, like at all, so we didn't do very many crafts his first year.
i did get him to finger paint once.

he makes me smile.

i like to use books to influence my crafting so why not do the same for my child.
at his daycare he will learn a new word and then do an art project to actualize the word.

here are five books and five craft ideas i came up with:

[ read ] the hungry caterpillar

[ activity ] egg carton caterpillars and coffee filter butterflies

directions and source

[ read ]  i love you through and through

[ activity ] 
make labels for your eyes, nose, ears, mouth and have your child "label" a photo of themselves.
you could also print out photos of your child exhibiting different emotions.

[ read ] are you my mother?

[ activity ]
create flash cards of "mommy" and "baby" animals and make a match game. have your child color the photos and glue them to the flash cards. make sure to include the name of each animal along with the photo on each card.

[ read ] buzz

[ activity ]

make paper plate bees

note: this book has a fantastic underlying moral story about what bees shouldn't be able to do but they do it anyways.

directions and source

[ read ]  the best time of day

[ activity ]

make your own clock out of construction paper or a paper plate.
along with the times of day, add a photo of the activity your child does at that time.

i could go on with more ideas.

there are so many great children books out there.

i hope this post will inspire you to head to the library, read a few books to your kids, and then create an awesome project that will get your kids excited about reading.

thanks again for having me gin!

i hope to see some of you around literally inspired!

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I think Ginger would do just fine as a teacher, don't you think?  Not only will I use these awesome ideas with my boy, but with my kiddos too.

Thanks Ginger!!

Guest Post: Kari from Newlyweds on a Budget

I remember when I first discovered Kari's blog and thinking that she is a lot like me...5 years ago.  But craftier.  And cuter.  Take it away, Kari!

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Good Morning Fellow Gin Stalkers! Oh wait, I'm the only one that does that? Awkward. 

Well, I'm Kari stopping by from Newlyweds on a Budget and I write a little blog about-you guessed it-living as Newlyweds on a tiny budget. Gin and I have been friends since the beginning of my blogging days (you know a whole three months ago) and she is AH-mazing! Which I know you all know because you're here. I was SO excited when Gin asked me to guest post today that I may or may not have done a little happy dance-in public.

I blog about trying to make ends meet and my new obsession with crafting and cooking! I try to find ways to up-do things I already have lying around the house apartment cardboard box. The hubbs and I also enjoy finding recipes that use inexpensive ingredients with a fantastic outcome-and that's what I have for you today! 

If you love reading Gin's fun posts as much as I do then you know how much she loves pizza, and I love anything that includes any type of pasta, so I combined our two favorites and come up with this. (Tried and approved by the hubbs and two of my best friends)

What you'll need:

 1 lb sausage (we only had 1/2 lb so that's what I used)

12 oz bag of Macaroni (or any other fun shape you have around)

1 package of pepporonni

1 lb of any cheese you can find (we used a blend of mozzarella, Parmesan, and Mexican blend)

Spaghetti Sauce (as much as you care to throw in_

Things we didn't use but you could if you wanted:

Onions

Green Peppers

Olives

Red Peppers

Really anything you like on your pizza and just add as much as you like.

You'll also need a casserole dish (I used a 9x9) and aluminum foil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees then cook your sausage and Maccaroni on your easy bake stove regular full sized stove. 

Make sure the sausage is brown all through and chop it up into little pieces. I used my Pampered Chef chopper but you could just break the sausage apart in the pan while you're cooking it. 

Drain the Maccaroni then add it along with the sausage, pepporini, and pasta sauce in a bowl (this is also where you could add that other stuff you might want) 

Add 1 cup of cheese (really any kind works) and mix it in with the pasta then move the mixture to your casserole dish.

Add the rest of your cheese on top and cover with foil.

Cook in the oven with foil on for twenty minutes or until bubbling-remove the foil and let cook for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese on top is browned and adds a nice crunch.

And if you're smarter then I am you'll cleaned up while your cooking-instead of leaving the mess till the end...

And just like the Food Channel I magically have a baked casserole already baked to present to you-doesn't it look delicious??

This was a HUGE success in my house. The hubbs thoroughly enjoyed it as did my two hobo friends who stopped by for a free meal.

I hope Ginny and her family (as well as yours) love this as much as we did! 

Thanks so much for having me stop by Gin! I hope to see you all over at my little space of the blog-o-sphere and check out some of the fun projects I've been working on!

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Seriously, y'all need to click over and check Kari's blog.  She hosts a craft linky every Tuesday and never ceases to amaze me with her craftiness.

Thanks, Kari!

Guest Post: Eve from Beautiful Spit Up

I am very excited to have the awesome Eve here. She is my bloggy twin in every sense of the word.   I envision a day in which she will actually be a guest in my house and not just my blog, but until then, you guys are lucky to get to know her too.

We all have those days when we’re frustrated and desperately need a night out. You call around for a babysitter, but nobody’s available. People are busy. They have their own lives. They have stuff going on. They don’t have kids. They get to leave the house without spit up on their clothes. They look fabulous.
Not you. No sir. You don’t have that luxury.

You get to stay home wearing a spit up stained tank and your sweat pants with the pockets, because they’re the perfect place to store your iPhone (connection to the outside world) and the always-essential handful of Cheerios.
I’m sure you’ve had these days.
I hope you’ve had these days.
You suck if you haven’t had these days.
You know you’ve had these days.
I’ve had these days. *sigh*
And then I think about Cheers, that ‘80s sitcom about a popular bar in Boston. The theme song immediately swirls through my mind and I feel better….

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.

I feel better because the lyrics are about home, or at least a place that feels like home.

Home –noun
1. a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household.
2. the place in which one's domestic affections are centered.
3. the dwelling place or retreat of an animal.
4. the place or region where something is native or most common.
5. any place of residence or refuge.
6. (in games) the destination or goal.

This song reminds me of home and makes me glad to be there, even when I’m frustrated by being there. It’s nice to leave it, but we sometimes forget how nice it is to just stay home. At least that’s how I feel. I don’t mind not always having a sitter. I don’t mind being at home.
Where my stuff lives.
Where my favorite stove sits and waits for me.
Where a handsome boy greets me at the door with kisses and a tooth-filled grin.
Where things are sometimes messy.
Where toys litter the floor like battery-operated landmines causing you to fall to your knees if you’re not careful.
Where the three of us make our lives together.
Where our troubles are all the same.
And they're always glad I came.
Where everybody knows my name.

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If it's possible, Eve just made me miss my own home just a little bit more.   Y'all show Eve some comment love and tell her your favorite thing about home.

Thanks Eve! Muchos besos y abrazos.

A Trifecta: A Winner, A Guest and A Recipe {Pull Apart Pizza}

We have lots to do tonight folks, are you ready?

M'kay. First up: the winner of the Inspired Lace and Pearl Necklace giveaway.  Let's see who the random.org gods deemed worthy...

Congrats Linh!  Email me at virginiajeanne{at}gmail{dot}com with your mailing address so I can mail you your necklace. 

Second up:  Did y'all know Veronica from City Life to Ranching Wife invited me over yesterday?  Yes, that's right; I did a little guest post over there.  So, if you want to learn new things about me (I know my way around a ranch), stop by and read.  You'll love Veronica, so you may even want to follow her and her adventures on the ranch!

Last on our agenda:  A quick, fun easy pizza recipe for you.  I promise y'all that our diet deviates from pizza from time to time, but it is by far our favorite food to eat around here.  Remember my hubs awesome fajita pizza?  He made that one up but this one comes from a Pampered Chef mini-cookbook and we adapted a little to suit our taste.

Pull Apart Pizza
2 cans of French bread dough
1 cup shredded cheese
Pizza toppings of your choice (we used a pound of sweet turkey Italian sausage)
Pizza sauce

1.  Start with your two rolls of unbaked French bread.  Cut them in half by length.  Then,cut them into pieces about an inch wide.  They should be in the shape of a half moon.

2.  Lay your dough pieces in a circular formation very close together.  I let my edges touch and it was all good.

3.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. While the dough is baking, make your sauce and gather your toppings.  I went simply with mine.  I browned sweet {turkey} Italian sausage with some red pepper and onion.  After it was mostly browned, I simmered it in about 2.5 cups of pizza sauce (Ragu, don't judge.  One day I'll make my own.  Seriously, the sky is the limit here though as far as toppings go.

4.  Grate your cheese.  We love cheese round these parts.

I'm not sure why a huge butcher knife made it in the shot...

5.  Top your pizza with your fixins and your cheese.  It only needs to bake about 5-6 more minutes of bake time for the cheese to be nice and bubbly.

Notice how I don't have a shot of the finished product?  That's because we dug in as soon as that baby came out of the oven.

The best part about this pizza?  You get to pull it apart piece by piece to eat it.  Serve it for dinner, serve it as an appetizer for at parties.  Click here for the real recipe.  Mine was heavily adapted but still so very good.

There you have it; my trifecta of a blog post.  Hope you enjoyed it.

Guesting Today at Handy Man, Crafty Woman

Happy Friday! Today I have the honor of guest posting over at Handy Man, Crafty Woman. I am flattered that Laurie contacted me because I have adored her site for awhile now. Having gotten to know her through emails, I'm pretty sure we've secretly been friends for ages. 

Click on the button, check it out and show Laurie some comment love!