Holiday haul

I am not the kinda girl who is against thrifting around the holidays. The 3R's to me are reduce, reuse, and repurpose..lol. My nephews birthday is this week so its always the perfect excuse when I'm out with the kids and find something for them as well. I know I won't always be able to get away with this, but I figure while I can why not..

Today while we were out I scored some seriously cute girl stuff for Margot. Things that we really contemplated getting already. New they would have been at least $20 a piece. Instead I paid $4.50 {total} and they are in like new condition. I makes me happy when we can all help each other out. It really inspired me to set aside some time tomorrow and clear out our own things around the house. Not just to make room for what Santa will bring but for those who are in need. Is there any other way to help your child understand the true meaning of Christmas??

Yes most likely-- but I think this one is close to the top of the list:)

In other news. I found these for me--

Aren't they totally darling? I love holiday Normal Rockwell items.

xO- Etheline

Birthday Presents

So Royals birthday is on September 11, but because he was in New York City we celebrated a week later. I'll be honest-- I try to be a totally awesome wife {heaven help  me} and so I surprised Royal with tickets to see Ben Folds Five on their reunion tour with {bonus} an overnight at the Ellis Hotel in downtown Atlanta.

{Kate Miller-Heidke @ The Tabernacle}

The opening act was Kate Miller-Heidke. During her first song I was like...

what
 the
 heck?

However, by the end of her 7 song set she had utterly won me over! The girl has an amazing set of pipes. Originally from Australia and classically trained she choose to go more of the alternative/rock path. Don't let that fool you though because she will through some of those classically trained notes into the mix. If you search for her on Pandora you will hear the likes of Florence and The Machine, The Cranberries, and Regina Spektor. All some of my favorites:)

Also, side note:: We are really big Dave Matthews fans here in this house. Which means we absolutely love his live recordings with Tim Reynolds. So if you love Tim Reynolds too you should hear this man play guitar with her. He will blow you away!!

 

{Ben Folds- 2nd Row}

We got to The Tabernacle about 45 minutes before the doors opened and after some body finagling once inside we ended up in the 2nd row of GA. Hello Benjamin!! Have you ever seen Ben Folds perform?? Is is supremely amazing! When he looked left he saw me. We had the best view!! Now if I'm being honest I wasn't all that familiar with their music. Royal was the fan out of the two of us, but I do love Ben Folds, and I knew that seeing him perform would be just amazing and let me tell you I wasn't disappointed.  The energy that that man brings to the stage is amazing and boy can he ever play the piano! No complaints from this red head.

{Ben Folds Five}

After a solid two hour performance and an on the spot new song were the band begged for forgiveness for canceling their last show here in Atlanta they wrapped things up. They left the stage and reappeared for a 3 song encore after a 10 minute nonstop whop and holler from the crowd. It really was a great show. Worth the wait and so very nice to get out with my husband and celebrate his life. The man really changed my life and continues to on a daily basis make me swoon. Happy Birthday baby!! I love you.

What has been your favorite concert you've ever been too? Tell me all about it in the comments below:)

xO- Etheline

Words To Live By

I love this quote for the simple fact that if you aren't indeed in love with your life you have the ability to makes changes, small or radical it doens't matter. If there is a detail that is poking you or just plain failing- change it. 

We should all be in love with our own lives. Not other peoples. Focusing on ourselves may be difficult to do, but once the prognosis is determined we can than make a plan to move forward with accomplishing what we want from life. 

So take a few minutes to evaluate. Are we all where we want to be? 

My life is a constant work in progress, but I really wouldn't have it any other way:)

xO- Etheline

boat and tote

A really good friend invited to go out on his boat over the weekend. My thought was-- it would be rude to decline such an invitation ;)  So early Saturday morning we loaded up and headed to the lake. I am more of a surfer/long boarder type, but after a day out on the boat I am beginning to see the allure of life on the water that way.  All 3 of the kids had a wonderful time, although Margot through a perfectly understandable tantrum when we put her life jacket/swimmie/bathing suit on. It was so stinkin adorable though. Go ahead take a look and see for yourself--

{left: Richie and JB :: right: Chaz and JB}

{growing feet}

{special moments}

{there is a bathing suit there- I lost the strap...promise!!}

{where we spent most of the afternoon :: Lake Allatoona}

{my baby girl -- who gets spoiled with her own collage}

The following day was filled with a cranky Margot and sunburns that ranged from nonexistent {Richie} to severe {Royal}. But oh what a day full of memories. Their the kind you don't exchange them to keep the peace. It's good to rememeber to get out there and play hard. Go ahead and tucker yourself out. It's all apart of living. Each experience becomes a part of you and something you will carry with you for the rest of your life. Tell me about your weekend. Do you do anything to blow your hair back?? 

xO-Etheline

First Day of Preschool

Welcome friends:) We had a very special day here at the Tenenbaum home yesterday.

That's right. Yesterday was the first day of preschool for Richie. A group of us moms from church decided to put together a preschool co-op. We do it twice a week for a few hours. I see excellent things in the making!! I was the test runner yesterday. It was so good for me on many different levels, especially since I'm starting kindergarten with Chaz in a little under 3 weeks. Let me just say thank heavens for apple timers. It was my saving grace.

Here is a little peak into our homeschool/preschool loft area. I feel so blessed to have such a space. I feel like some great learning is going to be done in this room, and not just by Chaz and Richie.
 

Isn't that the cutest chalkboard? $1 at a local thrift store. In other news-- I'm not overly happy with this map. Maybe if the nautical stars were actually on it I'd like it a little bit more. You see there are certain things in life that I'm totally type A about. Good wall art/maps is one of them. This, however, will most definitely do for now.

And without further ado, here is our little preschool group. They are all so adorable and eager to learn. Everything they do is the most important thing of all time. They use there little hands to explore and create things us moms have and, let's be honest, haven't heard of. What more could one ask for? Tomorrow we will be focusing on learning about apples. I have a whole Johnny Appleseed thing planned. I'm utterly excited!! Painting smocks will be used:)

Has your summer started winding gown yet? Have your kiddo's started school? I love seeing all of the 1st day of school photo's popping up all over facebook. Ours won't be up until September 4th as I am a Northerner and am strongly against starting school before Labor day. I'm just sayin' ...lol

Listening to: Emery- From crib to coffin

xO-Etheline

Words To Live By: letter addition

I have always carried a love for the French language in my heart. It really is a romance language. So in lieu of anything else I will simply say--

 Dear Royal-

{via}

xo- Etheline

Share this with the one you love tonight<3<3

A fresh start...in the middle

If you know me even the tiniest of bits you will know that I prefer the cooler weather. As you can imagine August in Georgia...not my favorite thing to experience. So when we woke up this morning and I was on the back deck looking for Richie's shoe for church {don't ask...lol} I was shocked when the words, "Whoa it's cold out," left my mouth totally on their own. Royal raced outside to see if I was pulling his leg. Low and behold I wasn't. Thermometer read 63 degrees.

{insert angelic choir here}

We immediately shut off the air condition and have had windows and porch doors open along with our attic fan which has sent the loveliest of breezes through our home. Even with the degrees rising as the day has gone on the humidity that ruins our summer days has disappeared. It really is the only explanation.  I am in no way complaining. It's spectacular. 

After church we came home and I was feeling a little annoyed at how messy my house was. Not tornado style, but there was a few things out of place in each room which is just enough to make you wanna scream. Know what I mean? Well I set to it and started straightening and to my surprise with the help of my children playing on the deck and Pandora I knocked the clutter out quickly.  

{Please excuse the horrible dead tree. I'm not sure what is going on with it}

With the breeze swirling through our house I sat down at my table for what feels like for the first {real} time on our new home.  Like I'm finally settled. It's an odd feeling really, but the memory of it's familiarity is welcomed. 

I hope now to have the blog up and running a little bit more regularly now. I hope you will stop by and comment. I love comments and new friends. Old ones too; tremendously:)

xO-Etheline

Stay tuned for more photogs of the house:)

Words To Live By

Some days confusion gets the best of me. Thankfully I realized today after many tears that I need to be less wishy washy and instead be more firm, concise, and confident in my choices. That when I do this, when we do this, we are blessed with peace.

{via}

Do not be afraid to submit to the tears; there is healing in them. Do not be afraid to work hard; sweat and pain is weakness leaving the body. Do not be afraid of the ocean; it's magical.

xO- Etheline

a little bit of me

We had the Sister Missionaries over for dinner last night. It was loads of fun. I whipped up a pot of taco soup which was delicious, yet probably a silly idea since it was 88 degrees outside. After some healthy conversation that was centered around the east coast being far superior to the west coast, we ate, and then the sisters shared this video with us. You can find visit Mormon.org to hear about other people stories and a very easy to understand breakdown of what we as Mormons believe. You can even request a Book of Mormon or chat online with a missionary with any question you may have. 



This video really hit home with me. Forgiveness is something that has been on my mind as of late. I've always grasped the concept that when we sin we have the power to ask for God to forgive us. And I know it is my job to forgive others when I am wronged, no matter what the circumstance, no matter how hard. What I seem to always forget, is to forgive myself. I don't always feel that I have made up for the wrong that I've done. It is so easy to be so hard on ones self. One of the steps of repentance is to make amends, sometimes that means with yourself. A few weeks ago I had a marvelous experience that allowed me to realize this, and that in order to put the past behind me and move on I need to forgive myself. This will allow me {and you} to be healed fully as the repentance process is near completion.

It is a wonderful that God has given us. We have had the power to choose, as well as the power to plead for his forgiveness when we falter. I hope that each of us can find it in out hearts to allow the principle of forgiveness to work in our lives.

xO-Etheline.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Blogs

As stated in my last post I have been trying to weed out the things in my life that take away more than add. This is especially true for my blog reading cause, boy can I ever get sucked in. I can have 20 tabs open if I'm not careful; just exploring new blogs. Let's be fair though-- visiting and commenting on new blogs can be fun and even good for your own blog. For myself I have come up with a few simple ways to help me decide if they are a keeper of if I'll throw them back into the sea that is the world wide web.

Tips on Keeping You Blog Roll Simple: 

 - Chances are if you fall in love with one, you'll fall in love with their sponsor! Beware. This is how I got hooked the last time..lol That being said it's how I have found some of the best blogs that I feel cater to my life at this time, so go me!!

- Once I found one that has convinced me that we were friends in a past life, or something equally as embarrassing I save them to my bookmarks banner. Easy access ya know.

- If after commenting on a few of their posts and they are sweet enough to take the time and visit mine and comment as well...Well, duh, they are officially a keeper.

- This last tip is the easiest one-- if they keep you coming back for more, give up. You are hooked my friend. Like a fish on a line! I usually give them about a week to a week and a half depending on how frequently they post.

Current Top 5 Favorite Blogs: 

 1.

{via}

  La Famille is all about...family. Alicia is a mother of 3 and home school super hero! She posts about life, family, and has the best sense of humor! She runs a great Etsy shop and once you learn about The Happy Day Project you will return not once or twice, but dozens of times. {Is my hook showing?}

 

2.

{via}

The Simply Luxurious Life is one of my most recent obsessions. Shannon runs a clean site filled with great photos {thank you pinterest}, but more importantly great words. Her posts always stay with me throughout the remainder of the day as they are smart, practical, and forward thinking. Her "Why Not..." series is my absolute favorite.They include questions from Why not....stop competing with others, to Why not...Invest in your dreams? Great stuff, really!

3.

{via}

 

 

So TJ runs this blog and when you stop by you will know why His Little Lady is on the list. She is a Peeta fan and in my book, well that's just enough. Her little notes are so cute and always levels with her readers. I love that! Her readers are loyal gals...we are talking upwards of 70 comments daily. {oi!} And she's nice enough to stop by Her Eclectic Life and leave some love. Awesome!

4.

{via}

Brunch at Saks? Yes please? Who wants to meet me? This fun lifestyle blog is run by Annemarie out in LA. She focuses mainly on fashion, home decor, and entertainment....just a few of my favorite things. You wouldn't believe some of the things she finds or the people she meets. Guess that's Hollywood for ya. I wouldn't know though, I'm an east coast gal!!

5.

{via}

 

Reviving the charming arts of Etiquette. I absolutely adore this! I mean the whole things really just sounds like a reading a book while floating on a cloud or something. Honestly though...in a world that gets to wrapped up in technology I think sometimes we forget how to interact with others, let alone properly. Anastasia provides excellent tips to help with this. She also does great old Hollywood celeb spotlights that I just can't get enough of  as well as a "best dressed of the week" poll for fashion which is fun if you are into that kind of thing. Which; I am.

Well that about raps it up here for this edition of A Few of My Favorite Things. I hope you take a peek at some of these blogs. I promise you won't regret it. These women provide me with great inspiration for my life and I hope they will do the same for you. So thanks. What are some of your favorite blogs that you read all the time. Share them with me in the comments section so I can check them out too.

xO- Etheline

{I should also mention if any photos have been used in an unpleasing manner I apologize. Let me know and I will remove them immediately. I'm still very much trying to get the hang of this all. Thanks in advance for understanding}