Dear JC.

     I would like to thank you for being the funny one, the most cheerful and bigger picture one.  For that lovely little poodle picture that you sent me making me chuckle as I sit reflecting the hugeness of things.  You've always been able to take the most serious of circumstance and without negating the depth therof, produce a layer of, "this too shall pass".  I am grateful for that.  I find I might stick this part of you in my pocket and carry it with me wherever I  go because people really need this ability.  It's your super power.  

     I am grateful also that you feel so compelled to hear others, share and heal them all along the way.  All the bad people in the world could learn a thing or two, and if they could laugh a little, feel a little and move in such a way that who cares how much time we have here lets just do...what our purpose is, where our roads take us and hold all the people in our lives no matter how we think they suck at the moment.  You do this so well JC that you must be like a magnet for others.  I am left hoping that somehow, someway you get every bit of that in return for your hugeness of heart and playful spirit.  I wouldn't have wished you any other way than exactly how you are.  As your mother I can say that I am super proud of the person you choose to be on your own accord, cause I know it was hard sometimes and lonely sometimes and still no matter what you smile.  So for a young man 24 years on his journey, your off to an amazing start and I love you forever. 

Xoxo 

-mama

Country Garden Chicken Recipe

Hi everyone.

It's a Monday for sure.  I needed a quick and easy recipe and this one just hit the spot.  It's so easy to make your gonna love it.  

First you take (4) Chicken Breast  with bread crumbs and fry them up then place on platter.  Once they are done you take 1/4 c. of diced Tomatoes, Green Peppers and Onions and throw them in the pan and sauté them until the onions are translucent.  You then put in a packet of .7 Country Gravy Mix and a cup or so of water slowly.  Once done you just pour over the chicken.  Then you just add a veggie of your choice.  All done!  Simple as pie and you can also find this recipe available at Publix.  Hope you like it.

Shhh, it's morning at my house.

Good morning everyone.  Charlie woke me up this morning bright and early.  It's so still and not a sound in the house other than his grunt for his walk.  Jupiter our cat has adopted dog-like ways and makes the same grunt sound for her food instead of meowing.  I have actually very rarely heard her meow.  So this is morning at my house. 

Somebody has to say it..

Anyone that knows me well knows I'm dealing with a major Saturn opposition Saturn transit right now. (Sarcasm) anyone that doesn't like sarcasm should just go read something else because this post is full of it centered around all my life's lessons.  May the courageous in heart carry on...

A Saturn opposition is by far one of the hardest transits that an able mind and body can brave in this lifetime.  It's the mid-life crisis where you look around at how you've always done things and it just pisses you off.  You start to see in your early 40's what you did a certain way for 40 years was insane and got you absolutely no where doing it.  Everything you feared or danced around for others just becomes out and out bullshit at this point.  The best part is you can't control the change that's coming.  Yet, whatever comes is needed change and sets the course for the rest of your life.  Sort of a pause if you will to stop climbing, doing and being and assess your life situations, relationships and any other thing that Saturn decides to shift.  BTW, this will go on for about (2) years give or take.  

So, before this opposition I was the doer, the sacrificer, the martyred and the one that made sure everybody else was ok.  Oh I would fight for a cause but never my own.  So I have jotted down some quotes that just pop in my head as I free think about where I am today in my head and heart.  I'm sure something amazingly fabulous will be birthed at the end of these two years.  (Say your prayers for me plz)

It's not that I don't like kids, it's just that I'm "over" kids.  Next obsession please....

When someone assumes leaving my life out of some petty argument or jealousy is a punishment..."where is the logic in that?"  Trash that takes itself out???  Think about it...

She turned out to be fierce, speak her truth and has a mind of her own. 

Sure life is hard, as long as your looking at it according to the needs of everyone around you more than your own dreams.  Then it's fucking hard!!!!

I never thought I'd be ok without a man, without my kids and without my family.  Now there is an assurance that the sun will shine again and I will create a new.  There will come a tomorrow with completely new characters to dance on my stage. 

People will always hate you for the truth no matter how you say it because life says everything is supposed to be hidden and squashed...never addressed. 

If all your enemies, haters and evil doers in your life suddenly ended up in the same town, would that be a blessing or a curse?  I say blessing because like attracts like and good character doesn't hate someone so fabulous! 

I don't travel because I like spending money.  I travel because I like not thinking about it for a week.  "Lay that shit down!"

At her worst, life-changing moment full of betrayal and chaos she was the calmest she'd ever been.  Put on her lipstick and turned to flick the music up!

I used to carry regrets around in my pocket.  They seemed to define me.  Now they are against my religion.  I simply don't believe in them. 

There is so much freedom in making up my own mind about a thing without the influence of any other thing or person. 

I leave you with this..." Friends that sparkle are all that's allowed here and kuddos to my husband who's left standing with me when this is all said and done!". 

Time to cook!

Happy Wednesday everybody!

It's that time of year again for the Dillard's yearly collectable cookbook.  This cookbook benefits the Ronald McDonald house also.  I love this cookbook because this year it's not just Christmas Recipies but also year round celebrations.  Check it out and be sure to pick yours up for 2014

Things I've been asked.

1.//>>>  Tea or Coffee?

Tea.  I have a particular favorite flavor involving raspberry.  My husband and I stayed at the "Chanticleer Inn", on Lookout Mt, Tennessee the weekend before a very stressful surgery and they served raspberry tea.  Hooked ever since.  

2.//>>> Favorite City?

Hands down, "San Francisco".  I would like to say because of it's romance or unique artistic vibe but probably more so because it's the one place I'm in love with and was able to share with my husband, that he had never been.  

3.//>>>Spring or Fall?

Definitely Fall.  I was born in the spring and tho I do enjoy the longer days it brings I love the comfy-ness of big sweaters, sweeping wind, fire trees and quiet time.

4.//>>>Bloom of choice?

Seems for every stage of life I've had a favorite flower depict of that time.  In childhood it was daffodils.  They were as wild as I was and I picked them every spring to take to my Granny Arthur. (((one of my best memories)))  In my teens I loved roses because I guess I was looking for love like most teens.  In my 20's it was daisies, I was poor and daisies grew wild and were free.  Plus I had a little boy that picked them for me non-stop.  In my 30's it was hydrangeas because the years came and went and I forgot we had them when I was small growing beside our house. (((snowball bushes!) and now in my 40's I would say Peonies.  Seems a graceful surrender of beauty, a very gentle and feminine flower.  

5.//>>> Most prized possession?

Past the gold, the diamonds or any other thing, it's a folder I've kept since 1989 full of drawings, letters and cards from my babies.  One day I'm gonna frame it all in some fancy arrangement on a memory wall. 

6.//>>>On weekends?

Short day trips, early morning coffee in the sunlight, Charlie watching me intently... I tend to day dream much and love everything around me to be luxurious, soft and sense pleasing.  

Weekend Review

Good Monday morning my loves...

Saturday
I woke up early, picked up my supplies from the grocery store to make a pumpkin bundt cake and a green bean casserole to take to my Aunts on Sunday.  Family day whoo hoo.  In the process of doing all this, I managed to color my hair and clean.

By 5:00pm it was DATE NIGHT!   Dre (my hubby)  invited me out on date night.  We don't normally get too much time alone and this was absolutely the best idea.  He preplanned the whole thing.  Picked me up even.  He had pre-booked an Italian cooking class at Mia Cucina which I have been dying to try.  We made grilled salad, (3)types of homemade pasta and wonderful fruit desert. A great time!

Sunday
Up and at'em, the family and I headed to Sand Mtn, Georgia.  Aunt Jean is in her 80's and had some recent health concerns.  She is unable to do many things for herself.  My mom and brother take excellent care of her when they can and they do so so much!  My husband offered to paint her living room so the family took some food and we all hung out with this crazy lady on Sunday.  She is so funny and so honest!  We were there until 7:00pm.  So we painted, had haircut time, ate dinner and laughed  like crazy.  Love this woman!

So, no time this weekend to read the book I wanted to post for the upcoming "Book Club".  However, I will seriously have it ready by the weekend.  I wish you all a great week and lot's of plans for the upcoming weekend!

xoxo

-Teresa Ann

Weekly Online Finds.

So the week is winding to an end and the weekend is on the horizon.  All week I have been eyeing a few things online and I am sharing them here. 

My sweet friend Tamara is getting married next fall.  I have been trying to think of a cool congratulations gift and a card.  Sugar Paper out of  Los Angeles, CA has the best individual cards, (among other things).  The search continues for just the right gift cause she's worth it!

One of my favorite blogs is by Lauren Conrad and she has a site called "The Little Market".  It is an absolutely wonderful site that promotes female artisans in helping them support their families.  There are some wonderful pieces here and one of my favs Lauren mentions on her website is the blush tray.  This would go perfectly in my bedroom to hold my iPad, notebook and glasses.

Big surprise field trip coming up to the Z Gallerie at Atlantic Station so stay tuned for that.   Hopefully this just might be the place to find that perfect gift!

I leave you with this...
Everyone knows I always have my children on my mind and no matter what the days bring, I am never far from them, though they be far from me.  Days sometime bring moments of silence between two people and only space and time can be the medicine needed to mend a broken thing.  So this week in my quiet I went back to an old familiar place in poetry where thoughts were struck with deeper meaning and a remembrance that today is fleeting all the while.  I found this poem and loved it because it was so real...so raw and full of strength for whatever life brings.  Even a little hope. 

Mother to Son

By Langston Hughes 1902–1967 Langston Hughes

 

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

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Game Day!

Happy Friday Yall!  Yesterday was such a crazy day.  I had meetings, ortho appointment, vendor visit, and was excited to make it to little's first soccer game.  She's growing up so fast!!  This was their scrimmage and she played so well.  It's going to be a busy weekend but a nice one I hear, so everybody have a good one and I'll see you back here real soon! 

#TBT - Fall Creek Falls Last Year

The fall is a most awesome time of the year.  Last year about this time we were all about family and visiting with my father-in-law Papa Peter who flew in from Eugene, Oregon.

We took a day trip to Fall Creek Falls about an hour north of Chattanooga.  This is one of our favorite places to hike and in the fall it's so peaceful.

So find your favorite place and go say hello this fall.  Our earth misses you and seeks to embrace any and all who will acknowledge her beauty.  This was a great time with Peter and we look forward to many many more visits! 

What a stylist would never tell you.

     I have been a hair stylist for right about ten years now.  I no longer work in a shop or do hair for a living but I have these valuable tid bits of wisdom that I've been longing to share with my fellow sisters.

• Salons do not add fillers to their services (unless you ask, then most don't carry them) because it means your color wont fade as quick.  They actually want you to come back sooner.  Need I say more?  $$$$
• A filler is a protein product added to your hair to equalize porosity.  This helps ensure color absorption for an all over even color.  Ideal for you beauties out there that love to bleach and dye different colors frequently.  You can pick up a filler yourself from Sally, here is a link for the one I use religiously! .  Very inexpensive and take it with you on your next color service.  Your stylist will be impressed! *wink*
• Every stylist wants you to know the difference between a trim and a shave.  
• most people ask for a trim and feel they got too much taken off.  If you ask for a shave off the ends, the stylist knows better to not take any length at all, just the dead ends. Sometimes its not in what you say but how you say it.

•  Do not wash your hair before going to the salon unless you've been sleeping with pigs for two weeks.  
• Bleach works best on dirty hair and is less damaging.  Washing your hair strips it of it's natural oils so keep that in mind for any chemical treatment.
• A home mask made of an egg, two tablespoons of olive oil, and some honey work just as good as most professional products for deep conditioning.  
• Wash your hair, load this cocktail on, wrap it up in a towel and clean the house or something.  Let it sit for a spell.  Then wash out gently. 
• Stay away from Sodium Laurel Sulfate shampoos as much as possible.  
• Heck, we all should no matter what.  This is going to do nothing for you but strip your hair.  Try to wash every other day or use a dry shampoo in between washings.  (personally I just use a little baby powder on the second day).  Your hair will grow faster and be more healthy if you just listen!
• When you condition, do not condition your roots!!! 
•  Move out to the ends where your natural oils have farther to carry oils.  A little word of knowledge.  Keratin products seal the hair shaft and smoothen but slow down hair growth.  That too, just on the ends.   
• When you flat iron your hair, do not go slowly.  
• Use consistent, quick strokes.  Holding the flat iron for too long, sucks the moisture and fries your hair.
• If you color your hair often, wear a hat in the sun.  
• If you spend $100 or more on your hair service it's a disgrace to not take care of it and your stylist will know when they touch it and your character/life will be judged.  
•  If you have natural curl in your hair, ask for a dry cut. 
•  If your one of those customers who always complains that they cut too much, then more than likely your hair has a curl in it and when it's wet it's hard to measure the elasticity.  Also, if you have a hair pattern that's always hard to control, speak up!!  Hair cuts can be tailored around the pattern making it look much more natural then trying to train a cow lick to lay down. 
• Don't expect your stylist to do anything but what you tell them to do. 
•  Most are customer pleasing and care about the $$$  so they won't always suggest a cure for something your not ready to or willing to hear.  The key is to know your hair and what you want and for God's sake be REALISTIC!  You wanna enhance what the good Lord gave you, not reinvent nature! 
• Just good common sense and a pet peeve!
•  If you can spend $6 a week for pumpkin spice lattes, you can pop in a salon for a blow out! Plus it's less fattening and will make you feel 10x better! 
• To all you young girls out there.  Straight, stringy, flat, dull hair pulled back in a pony tail is not a hairstyle!  Do something with that mess besides let it grow and hang.  You know your out there, yes you!  Sometimes you sport this style with wearing a pair of pajamas at Wal-Mart.  DRESS AND STYLE FOR THE LIFE YOU WANT, NOT THE ONE YOU HAVE!

-xoxo  Teresa Ann

My neighborhood autumn.

 

Everybody has to have some mums and a pumpkin or two.

 

The colors are beginning to change here in Tennessee.

Sneaking pics of pumpkins from the neighbors.

 

 

 You can see the colors peaking through.

Home Sweet Home through those trees!

 

Baby pumpkins. 

 



Scarecrows on my evening walk.

This is Dre having to control our little social butterfly as there are four dogs and our neighbor walking behind us and Charlie thinks he's the life of the party! 



Insomnia

It's 4:00 a.m. and I've been up since 2:00a.m.  What does a girl do when she can't sleep?  She BLOGS!

I would leave my bedroom and go make some tea or something but there's a strong chance I would wake Charlie (my Shorkie).  He sleeps with the 12 year old most nights and has bionic ears.  Should I wake him he will be up and ready to go, his soccer ball in all. 

Instead, here I sit at my desk in the nearly dark, water bottle and PJ's, pounding on this laptop as if it will magically make my crazy make sense.  Husband is up with the crazy eye mumbling something about his back and headed for the couch.  Now he's gonna wake Charlie!  Guess I know how tomorrow will be here at my house as Sunday will become national nap day. 

So I'm free surfin tonight, a little pinterest, a little... off the wall topics that just randomly pop in my head on Google and the whole time looking for new interest, new projects and definitely cool stuff that seems to evade most every website I click on.  Google hates me or I'm just overly judgmental and seem to personify Google because don't we all know, Google is the all knowing all seeing wizard of the net world.  No matter how we tire if it, it's the "Wal-Mart", of the internet and you just keep getting sucked back in.

I was thinking of checking out some time shares and vacation type getaways that I could invest in.  Something that's local enough to not need plane fare and something far away enough, I'm not in my back yard.  Being land locked here in Tennessee is major suckage at times and I can't decide if I want a cabin near a lake or condo by the beach. Choices...  I also can't decide if I wanna color my hair my signature color "chocolate", or hit the highlights again.  Sounds like a major mid-life crisis to me!  lol.   Perhaps I should do like other Soddy Daisy ladies and just learn to shoot.  Which by the way is better than in my hometown of "Chatsworth", in which I would be taking up a spit cup or pretending to like going mudding to please an overhaul wearing, sleeve rolled up tractor driving man.  No offense of course.  Obviously I'm a rebel without a cause so I need to find one. 

I heard the rain coming down pretty hard tonight which might be what originally woke me up.  My mom either butt dialed me or called, got voice mail and forgot to hang up because I listened to her convo with my Aunt Jean for 15 minutes, amazed at their giddiness like two high-school girls over such things as where to put what.  My Aunt Jean is pretty old and she knows it so forget a filter there. I secretly love the idea of every hater I have being introduced to Aunt Jean.  It's the ultimate "putting someone in their place", cause she's amazingly accurate with the reality of bull-S- - -!  If they met her, I would seem like as harmless as puppy dog.   My mom is the quiet sneaky type who is big hearted but don't ask her a question cause your more than likely gonna get more than one opinion, and people "she aint budging!"  Gotta love the ladies in my family they are amazing!!!!! 

I'm looking over at my bed now, thinking it's completely empty and stretching out sounds amazing.  Sure hope Dre is comfy on the sofa, :)  Maybe tomorrow it won't be raining and I can actually get out and about.  Ok, I'm going now... 
xoxo  - Teresa Ann

My need for Grace.

Happy Thursday. 
You should be able to tell by now that I definately have an Aries ascendant by the inconsistency of this blog, lol.  Seriously.

I want to write today.  I want to write about one area of my life that I need Grace more than anything.  I always have.  That area lies with my children.  It actually, is the only place in my life that I have stood up and determined my will along with Gods and often fell short in expectation  and deliverance.  I have felt more pain wrapped in joy surrounding these lives that have passed through me than in any single circumstance I have known.  No intimate broken hearts or failed relationships could compare to the physical pain felt run through my body caused by a single tear of one of these kids. 

I grew up with them.  I was ever so young at 18 having babies that we learned together just about everything.  From watching the same cartoons and liking the same fruity pebbles to music and rock concerts as they got older.  Everytime my oldest picked up a rock and looked at it for more than a few seconds I would get lost in his make believe world of amazement.  It was so easy for me to and I don't know why or how.  Then with my second son and man that baby could laugh.  It was utterly contagious and it was healing.  My whole outside world was dump.  There, that's the truth.  I had not dealt with a missing father, or being an unwanted child myself, much less knew how to function as a whole complete person.  So I circled myself off in the presence of these little spirits that could dream and love in a way I had never known.  When my last child Courtney came along, I had not attended to the outside world, not even yet.  I was still in that circle with only them.  This baby was wise and quiet and amazingly kind.  Why would I ever want to leave this space with them? 

When I say that I need Grace with them, what I'm really saying is I am incapable of feeling any other way but one way.  Which is probably extremely unhealthy and not even a therapist could heal or better this issue.  That way is only to protect.  It is only to go to battle against any and everyone who deliberately  imposes great pain upon them.  Understand that I am incapable of allowing them to hurt without feeling it in my own body.  If you physically abuse my sons, you are abusing me.  If you deliberately betray my daughter then you are betraying me.  It is not a show I watch go on in front of me, it is a duplication of the act within me and no one has that right.  I wish that I could look at motherhood differently because Lord knows my kids have needed me to, begged me to, and even gotten pretty upset with me for voicing my truth and defending them.  The truth is never what anyone wants to hear and there is no special time to say it that makes it go down any better...and unfortunately, there's always a price to pay for the truth.  

So give me Grace.  Understand that the people they are,  are directly linked to my life and heart.  Know that I've been fighting for each one in some way their whole lives and I don't see that ending ever.  Also know that if you are stripping them of their self worth, creativity and everything that makes them more, or their dreams.  It will send me into an oblivion.  I won't understand it, I won't know how to just allow it.  It is not within me to sit idly by.  No one said having children would be easy or watching them grow up a cake walk and I know that sometimes it's better to not be around then to feel such the urgency to right the wrong.  In my understanding of these things...Just give me Grace. 

My day at home.

Hello my loves!
I woke up this morning with the most terrible migraine headache I've ever had and decided to stay in bed.  It was a good idea considering it was pouring down rain outside as well.  Somewhere around 9:00am  I stumbled out of bed, looked in the mirror and decided I should do something with myself. So I medicated myself, got dressed and hit the road for some Starbucks. 

Upon returning home, I decided to sleep, surf the net most of the day and arrange some of the room décor I've been slowly piecing together while my head was feeling better.

 

 

A few reminders every girl needs!



 

 

So I'm not the boring girl, I'm the bling girl!

 

You can't see the name of this nail polish from the pic but it's called "Formula X" for Sephora.  I love it because it has no harmful chemicals and goes on better than any brand I've tried.  Courtney came home the other day with this dark color and I loved it.  So I have the dark for Halloween and the gold for "all the time!", lol

 

So here you go so far.  I can't seem to find a mirror to go behind my laptop, so the search continues.  Next week I will be adding my desk accessories. 

 

 

So I'm not feeling good today.  This is what I'm reading.  Someday I will have enough time to finish.

 

A better pic of the Orion's Belt nail color by Formula X.  Juliet loves to have her nails done!

 

Love this kid!

 

 

Now Dre is home from work grilling filet for me tonight.  I am tired, weak and really need to get more rest.  So yall have a good night and I will see you here soon. 

xoxo  -Teresa Ann