Everything AND the kitchen sink.

August 24, 2015 Pamela Stephens

I’ve mentioned time and time again that we have a rather lengthy update list for our house. There really isn’t anything here that we haven’t already changed or plan to change later. The past few weeks, Matthew and I have been a bit discouraged by that ever-growing list. Last week on the patio, we talked about how we probably just needed to start doing some things here and there to make ourselves feel encouraged again. We’d fallen in to the trap of waiting until we had all of the money to do all of the things. Let’s get real…that’ll never happen. After chatting on the patio for a bit, we decided we needed to just bite the bullet and get back to working on the updates. I had no idea that we’d start so soon.

Saturday morning we discovered some puddling water on the kitchen floor. After a bit of exploration, we (and by “we” I mean Matthew) discovered a leaky faucet. After I showed a few houses, he and I headed off to Lowe’s to pick a new faucet. We decided that we’d “price” some sinks while we were there. The old saying goes “everything but the kitchen sink.” In the case of our renovations, we had hoped to replace “everything AND the kitchen sink.” We just weren’t planning to do it quite so soon.

After shopping our options, we decided to go ahead and replace the sink while we were working in the kitchen. I practically loathed the one that we had, and while it wasn’t my top priority, we’d save a bit of money (and time) by doing it all at once. We said we needed to start somewhere. I guess the sink would be our jumping off point. In an ideal world, I’d have some lovely farm sink built into my cabinets. Since that’s not in the cards, this one-tray stainless option will have to do.

While we were at Lowe’s I browsed the hardware section and picked a few options for our cabinet knobs. (We haven’t had knobs since we’ve moved in. Don’t judge.) If nothing else, having to replace our kitchen sink and faucet, got me back in the mood to get things finished. (I use that term lightly.) I came home and pinned 100 light options on my Pinterest and started dreaming of the possibilities. (I also did a bit of housekeeping over on Pinterest, so if you’re not already following me there, you should!) While I’d absolutely love an unlimited budget to do everything I want at once, I also know that having to do things one at a time and as economically as possible has some value.

In addition to getting re-inspired, this little project also gave me the opportunity to think about my marriage a bit. You see, I learned early on to let Matthew have the reins on projects like this. For most women, that wouldn’t be a problem. For me though, it was a bit difficult. You see, I grew up with a mom who knew how to (and did) fix/repair/change/build/update everything herself. I feel pretty confident in my ability to do most minor fixes and updates around the house. I certainly won’t argue that I’d do everything perfectly. However, I do feel like I could make it work. When Matthew and I married, there was a bit of a standoff on who would be the one to handle these sorts of things. I definitely wanted him to fix things; I just had a bit of an opinion on how it should be done. Marriage is absolutely about a give and take between spouses. I decided the common DIY would be the area where I gave. That’s why I sat patiently and explored Instagram while Matthew selected what supplies we needed. He gives me the reigns sometimes and I hand them off to him sometimes. Today that means that I’ll search for amazing light fixtures while he determines how to best caulk the new sink. It’s a win, win for everyone.

Up next on Matthew and Pamela Very Slowly Update a House from Top to Bottom…..who knows. I guess we’ll see what breaks next. On a serious note, I promised you guys a house tour this month. I’m going to need for things to stop breaking in order to make that happen!

P.S. Don’t look too closely. Neither of the curtains pictured in this post are hemmed. That’s on the agenda for another day. I’m planning a before/after post (including details about that stenciled wall) once those curtains are hemmed and a few other items are marked off the list. Hang in there!

Bathroom Gallery Wall

August 21, 2015 Pamela Stephens

It is no secret that I love a gallery wall. I’ve learned that I’m very far from a minimalist. Instead, I love a collection of several things together…in an organized and uncluttered way, of course. Ever since gallery walls started popping up on Pinterest, I’ve wanted to do one on every wall. I think it’s a great way to showcase multiple things you love, fill a large space, and add an ample dose of interest to your décor. Today, I’m showing you the wall I’ve done in our master bathroom.
The master bathroom is one of those “big projects” on our renovation list that will likely be done in the year 2072. We did a few small things to make it work better for us, like taking out a closet in the sink area to add more standing room. I’ll show you the full bath eventually. Today, we’re just taking a peek into the shower/toilet area.

Bathroom Gallery Wall (10) While we wait on the bathroom remodel fairy to arrive, I needed some sort of plan for giving this small space a bit of personality. One way to add some pizzazz to a small space is through the paint color. I did neutrals (all shades of gray) throughout the house because I had no idea what colors I wanted and a limited amount of time to decide. I did a lighter gray (Sherwin Williams light french gray) in here because I wanted the room to feel as large as possible, especially since there are no windows. The basic light gray, though, left the room feeling pretty bland.

For the first several months, this room only had the light gray walls and plain white shower curtain. (It turns out that extra-long shower curtains are hard to find! I caught this one on sale at target.com and thought it was that fancy waffle knit fabric. It’s totally not, yet has served its purpose until I find something different.) After months of using the bland bathroom, I knew I had to do something bold in there. I found the marbled rug at TJ Maxx and started pulling together items for the wall that matched the rug’s crazy colors.

The collection started with that George Washington board. From there, I pulled together items that I already had and only had to purchase a few small things to fill in holes. I also made or re-purposed several items. Immediately after getting so many colorful items on the walls, I let out a sigh of relief. The room feels so much more alive and inspiring now…just what you need when you’re struggling to wake up in the mornings. I’ve included a list of resources below in case you’re curious about a certain piece.

In addition to adding the gallery wall, I also added photos of Matthew and me as babes in the tub over the toilet. I came across this idea in the early days Pinterest, and the link has since been removed. (If this was your original idea, Random Person on the Internet, here’s a high five for you!) I had the photos printed in black & white, because let’s face it, late 80s film photography isn’t known for its outstanding quality. I also decided to do them in light gray frames so that they wouldn’t take away from all of the color on the nearby wall. I didn’t want the toilet wall to be blank, and doing monotone art there would add something without distracting from the chaos on the adjoining wall. I must say, I absolutely love seeing our baby photos every day. I think it’s adorable, and I’m sure my husband is thrilled to have his naked bum on the internet. Shhhh…it’ll be our little secret.

In other bathroom news, adding a curved shower rod made a huge difference in making the shower feel more spacious. It didn’t make the room feel smaller like I thought it would, and made the shower feel 100x bigger. The extra-long curtain also made a difference. Adding the extra height made the ceilings feel taller and gave the impression of extra space.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with the outcome of the gallery wall. I’ll probably adjust some things here or there as time passes. For now, I’m happy with the outcome considering how little the project cost. If you’re interested in other walls I’ve done, check out my mirror wall and the small collection in my rent house living room. I certainly have more collections planned for this house and will share those as they’re completed!

Sources: 1. Nashville Flea Market 2. gift from Australia from Matthew’s grandmother. 3. Elise Blaha Cripe 4. frame – Hobby Lobby with our second photo ever taken! (I intended to replace the photo with something else and then decided it could stay.) 5. vintage 6. framed marketing piece from one of my Elise Joy purchases 7. my Mom’s house (I think.) 8. Hobby Lobby 9. free printable from the A Beautiful Mess newsletter 10. Hobby Lobby sale isle ($2!!) 11. TP Outdoors warehouse & it’s a favorite! 12. DIY painting 13. thrifted 14. Hobby Lobby ($2!) 15. DIY 16. Hobby Lobby 17. DIY & it’s a favorite. 18. thrifted 19. Hobby Lobby 20. DIY 21. Hobby Lobby (purchased right after this post)

Leave a comment Home - Our First House #mapfirsthouse - 2015 - gallery wall - home decor

Week in the Life

August 17, 2015 Pamela Stephens

I’ve decided to participate in Ali Edwards’ Week in the Life project that kicks off today! Ali has been doing this for many years, and if you follow any popular blogs, you’ve probably seen the project before. I’m not very good at tracking my daily activities, so I know that this will be a bit of a challenge for me. However, I think a snapshot of what my life looks like right now would be great to have. Here are my main reasons for participating in this project:

I want to do better at tracking the everyday life moments…not just the glamorous ones.
We are in a bit of a transition period right now (projects galore!) and I think this would be a great time to document the here and now. Plus, it’s an exciting week…my new assistant starts today!
I’d like to see if my actual activities match up with what I think my day looks like. Maybe I’ll learn a bit about how I use my time.
I want to practice my photography, and this will force me to take photos that I otherwise wouldn’t…including photos of myself. (Yikes!)
I want to be more intentional about how I use my time. Maybe this exercise will show me ways to be more efficient and how to fit in more personal time.

I already know that this is going to be a challenging project. I know that I’m going to be struggling by early afternoon today. I know that I’ll want to give up completely by Wednesday. Much like my 100 day project, I’ll realize how big of a commitment I made early on. It’s likely that I’m going to miss large of chunks of time when things get breathtakingly busy. Nonetheless, I’m going to do my very best. Even if I don’t document every single thing, I will most definitely document more than I would have otherwise.

I’ll be pushing myself a bit this week. If you’re interested in joining me, you can get tons of info, kits, and tips on Ali’s blog. You can also download this great (and free) printable. Even if you don’t participate fully, writing down your daily activities could still be fun and insightful. I’m sure I’ll share bits and pieces on Instagram, so feel free to follow along @pamelapetrus!

Leave a comment Other Stuff 2015 - Week in the Life

Learning to Wait

August 13, 2015 Pamela Stephens

There have been a few situations in the past where I’ve waited what would seem like “too late” to start something. There have been deadlines approaching that I’ve been aware of and rather than marching full speed towards them, I’ve waited. On the outside, it looks somewhat like procrastination. However, I’ve recently decided that it’s more like patience.

With practically everything I do in life, I need for it to feel right. Over 90% of the time I operate on my gut feeling. It’s how I opened my first business at 23. In a depression. It didn’t make any sense on paper, yet it felt right. My gut feeling is the same thing I used when getting married in 12 days, selling that first business, and opening another. To the outside world, none of those made much sense. However, my gut said go for it, and I did. I’ve used the same approach for many big and small decisions over the years and it’s working for me. That’s not to say that I have always made the right decisions…that’s a different post entirely.

At first, I myself thought it was procrastination, followed by a bit of luck when things worked out. It seemed like I’d put things off until the last minute and then somehow it would magically come together. I’d feel lucky or that I squeezed right by the doors of doom. Recently though, I started seeing this tendency of mine in a new light. I realized that things did usually come together, even if it happened on a different timeline than I originally deemed appropriate. I learned that I shouldn’t force things to happen, just to make progress early on. Instead, if I’d practice a bit of patience, things would likely still come together in the end. Rather than force myself to do something, I should just have a little bit of faith and wait until it felt right.

I have two recent examples for you. First, I’ve been toying around with the idea of a new business. If I were going to run with this idea as originally planned, I would need to travel out of town during the month of August. I was forcing myself to make a decision and get things in order, so that I would meet this self-imposed deadline. It just didn’t feel quite right though, so I hadn’t bought that plane ticket. It seemed like I needed to, yet something was holding me back. As I waited just a bit longer, things started coming together, although they’re shaping up a bit differently than I originally thought. I didn’t need to “get it together and make a decision” as I had been telling myself. I just needed to wait.

Similarly, I’ve known that I’d need to hire a new assistant since June. My current assistant would be moving in August, and I had a few months to find someone new. I had plans to attend a few trainings, etc. before I started the interviewing process and those didn’t work out like I had planned. I was also considering revamping the position a bit and morphing it into something that would enable my real estate business to grow. Weeks started passing. I went to Alaska. My trainings didn’t work out as planned, and I hadn’t made those decisions on what the position would look like in the future. More weeks passed. I’d sit down to write an email or Facebook post about the fact that I was hiring, and the words just wouldn’t come. No words?? I never have a problem with words! Somehow though, I couldn’t draft a “now hiring” post or a job description to save my life.

Now it’s August, just a few short weeks before I’d be left assistant-less. I felt like I had procrastinated again. I’d waited too long to start looking. Finally though, I started thinking of it differently. I realized that in the past I’ve thought I was procrastinating, and then things fall together at the right time. I realized that I had much more success with waiting until things felt “right” than I did with forcing things along. I even had that conversation with my husband. I said that I didn’t know what this position would look like and that I didn’t have any strong leads. Even though time was seemingly running out, I just needed to wait.

On August 6, just 14 days before my current assistant would be leaving, I received a call that there was a young lady interested in the job. I knew this girl from previous encounters and had always been very impressed with her. As soon as I learned that she was interested, I was immediately excited. We breezed through the interview/hiring process over the next couple of days and by August 10 I had hired a new almost-full-time assistant. I’m thrilled with my decision and I can’t wait to see how my business grows. I’m also looking forward to the opportunity to build and new relationship and I have a distinct feeling that I’m going to learn a lot from her loving, positive attitude.

I’ll spare you the rest of the details for now, as they’re not the true reason for this post. My ultimate point here is that sometimes you just have to wait. If something isn’t feeling right, it might not be the right timing. Rather that force a new idea or plan into action, sometimes you must practice a little patience. I certainly do not mean make a habit of procrastination. (If you find yourself procrastinating often, I talk about that here.) Instead, I’m talking about those times where things feel forced…those times when the right move or decision isn’t clearly obvious. If you’re a person who operates primarily on instinct as I do, you may need to just step back and wait for a bit. To the naked eye, it likely seemed that I was avoiding the search for a new assistant. On the contrary, I finally identified that I shouldn’t force it and the right person for the job was just around the corner. If anything, I’m learning to be patient and to follow my intuition.

I feel like I’ve learned another important detail about myself this month. Identifying these tendencies has taught me how to give myself a bit a grace. I’m learning more about how my own mind and body operates every single day. With this new quality identified, I feel even more in charge of my life. Learning this, coupled with the promise of a very large and very positive change in my business, has given me a new dose of inspiration. I’m feeling recharged and motivated, and I’m more than excited to see what the next several months hold. Here’s to big discoveries and bright futures!

1 Comment Business - Inspiration & Thoughts 2015 - Business - inspiration - real estate - What I've Learned

Hanging all the things.

August 10, 2015 Pamela Stephens

Sunday was my only day off this week. This means I had one million personal items that needed to be done on Sunday, including not setting an alarm and slowly drinking my coffee…you know, the important stuff. Somehow amidst trying to squeeze in enough rest to make it through the upcoming week, I made quite a bit of progress on the home front.

I’ve mentioned before that hanging things on the wall gives me a bit of anxiety. After writing this post (and reading that fantastic book), I made a tremendous amount of progress with decorating. I was inspired and encouraged and even a bit fearless with making things happen. Then I hit a wall. Several months have passed where I’ve done very little decorating at all. The ideas were still coming, yet I was overwhelmed and not actually doing anything. I seemed to have hit that decorating paralysis where I was too afraid to do anything until I was certain. Or until I had a perfect plan.

Thankfully, I snapped out of that over the weekend. I mentioned that one of my August goals is to share a home tour, showing my home in its current state. (I feel my blood pressure rising just typing that sentence.) Even though we’re not even close to finished, we have made a ton of progress with our renovation. Knowing that I want to share a progress report this month, has forced me to really think about the unfinished portions of my home. In addition to the one million projects we haven’t started, there are also one hundred projects that just need to be finished. With our busy schedules, it’s easy to put off finishing things because we actually need time to rest or spend time with family/friends.

We’ve also started several new projects lately. We are currently in the middle of turning our guest room into a guest room/home office. This means we have mattresses standing in our foyer…totally normal. All of the items that were safely hidden under the guest bed are piled in my dining room. We’re also FINALLY making some progress in my closet room. We purchased a new storage system from Ikea that I’m so very excited about. However, some of the pieces were out of stock, so we’re at a standstill on that project too. This means there are piles of clothes here and there that don’t have somewhere to live just yet.

Starting two new, major projects while I still didn’t feel settled in the other rooms has made me feel a bit crazy. Sometimes, I’ve wanted to throw my hands up and quit. Or move. There has been a certain amount of chaos around our home lately that hasn’t been very conducive to progress for me. (Just imagine folded laundry piled up not far from the protruding mattresses.) I know that you have to start somewhere and tackle a bit at a time. However, sometimes I reach a point where I just can’t think that rationally. Finally, I started chipping away at the chaos today. I started in a corner of the dining room and worked through things one piece at a time. Shortly after squaring away a few items, I began feeling inspired to hang some things. I’d had a few lingering ideas lately and had not had the time (or the courage) to actually start putting nails in the walls. I recruited Matthew to come along, and we hung several new things here and there. It transformed my entire day and my outlook on our home.

First, we hung a new (and slightly dangerous) Hobby Lobby find over our bed. We finished my bathroom gallery wall that I’ve been working on for months. We hung two sets of curtains (!! – even though one is just temporary). We hung the pallet hanger that Matthew made for me for our second Christmas, and I played with chalk on an old chalkboard to hang there. I also ordered a print for the kitchen from Etsy and hung a frame to put it in.

After so long of a creative funk, it felt amazing to make some progress. Several of the projects still need some attention or are temporary, yet it still feels great. I am reminded that I CAN get this home looking how I’d like and that I WILL eventually be happy with it. I never intend to be “finished.” However, I want it to feel good enough. After yesterday’s progress, I’m feeling much better about the possibilities. I’m also wanting to paint everything deep, bold colors. (Thanks, Pinterest.) I’m fairly certain that at least a wall or two will become this green color. Brace yourselves! If you haven’t seen a home tour here by the end of the month, you might need to prod me a bit. I’ll probably be hiding in a corner somewhere…next to something that most likely doesn’t belong there.

(P.S. These aren’t the best photos, because I was running out of daylight. Please forgive me.)

Leave a comment Home - Our First House #mapfirsthouse - 2015 - gallery wall - home decor

August Goals

August 7, 2015 Pamela Stephens

I’ve taken a bit of a break from setting monthly goals lately and it’s been a much needed recess. I think it’s important to notice when you need to hit the pause button and to respect the natural ebb and flow of your priorities. I needed a bit of time to readjust and choose what my focus was going to be. After giving myself a few months to just be, I’m walking away with a bit more clarity on what I’d like to work towards right now.

That being said, I’m setting some goals for August, and I’m happy to be back on the goal-setting wagon. Here’s what I’m hoping to do this month:

Attempt watercolor. I bought the supplies over a month ago and I’ve been a bit scared to dive in. Ann Marie shared a link to a free watercolor video done by Michael’s, and I watched the entire thing at 4:00 am when I couldn’t sleep. I can’t wait to try it now! (There are a few different free tutorial videos there that you might like to see. They’re only free through August 22 though, so be sure to check them out quickly!)
Start doing video. Doing videos has been on my mental list for a while. I’m a bit nervous to get started because I know the amount of work that’s involved. I’m not a huge fan of video editing and I don’t like to hear my own voice, so I’ve been subconsciously avoiding getting started. However, I’ve put it off for too long and it’s time to either do it…or don’t. I suppose we’ll know my decision by the end of the month! Speaking of video, I’m now on Periscope. If you’re there too, follow me @PamelaPetrus!
Decide yes or no. This one is going to be a bit vague, and I apologize for that. I’ve been toying around with an important business idea for a little over a month now, and I really need to decide whether I’m going to take the leap or not. I don’t like to sit and stew over things for months and months. For my own peace of mind, I need to decide whether I’m going to do it or move on. I hope to firmly make that decision in the coming weeks.
Share a “currently” home feature. It’s been one year since we bought our home! I’ve felt a bit down and out about how many projects still remain unfinished (or not even started). However, after looking through the before photos, I realized how far we’ve come. We still have miles to go before we sleep (yes, that’s Robert Frost), yet I think I should take time to celebrate the progress. Sharing before/after photos tends to make me crazily nervous. I never really feel “finished” so I tend to not share. I saw something online recently that showed before, during, and “much better” photos. I feel way more comfortable with the concept of “much better” than “done,” so I’m hoping to share a big progress report this month. Please hold me to that!
Move more slowly in the mornings. I’m learning that I need a bit of extra time to get going in the morning. Days where I move slowly and do something for myself before starting my work day feel heavenly. I want to give myself a bit of freedom and create more days like this for myself. Some days it’ll mean that I rise a bit earlier. Some days I’ll start work later. Either way, I’m hoping to protect my mornings this month and to see how that affects my overall day.

It honestly feels quite nice to be back in the goal-setting circuit. I knew that I needed a break, and I’m thankful to have had it. I couldn’t set goals when my mind felt so foggy and full. I’m feeling a bit more clear now though, so I’m charging forward to bigger and better things.

Do you have anything you’d like to work towards this month? Let’s talk about it!

Leave a comment Goal Setting 2015 - goals - monthly goals

La Mariposa – Magnolia, Mississippi

August 3, 2015 Pamela Stephens

One of my favorite things to write about here on the blog is stories of interesting places we’ve found on our travels. Traveling regularly is one of my big life goals and every new spot that we visit gets me a little closer to that big dream. As we see new places, I’m always looking for something cool and different to experience and most of the time I’m thinking about it from the perspective of a potential blog post. I do this mainly because this blog will be how I look back and reminisce. I also love sharing my experiences.

When we walk in to a new place, I immediately look about the room in search of potential blog photos. I’m usually already writing the post in my head, and I’m searching for things that I’ll want to remember or share. Most of the time, I’ll immediately know whether an experience will be one that I share or not. This day, I was wrong.

I snapped a quick photo of the exterior of this quaint restaurant in Magnolia, Mississippi before stepping inside. It looked promising. Shortly after walking in, I changed my mind. I actually said to Matthew, “I won’t be blogging about this one.” Something about the erratically scattered butterfly décor and plastic tablecloths just didn’t give me the warm and fuzzy, I’ll-blog-about-this feeling. We were starving and in the middle of nowhere, so we sat down to eat anyway. Shortly after sitting down, I realized that this was indeed going to be an experience that I wrote about. Not only that, it was going to be an experience that I never forgot and probably told stories of for years to come.

These wouldn’t be stories of that “adorable little spot with the cool, artsy vibe.” We wouldn’t reminisce of “that quiet place on the corner.” Instead, we will always think of and remember that bad ass restaurant owner that said exactly what crossed her mind. Before you read any further, I’ll warn you – there’s a lot of profanity involved. If you have sensitive eyes, you’ll probably want to skip this post. That was your warning. Read on at your own risk.

Not long after we were seated, I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation from a nearby table. There was lots of laughter and you could tell that a thick, Columbian/Cajun accent was the source of the comedic relief. I missed most of the conversation. However, I was fully tuned in after hearing her say:

“He said, ‘Aren’t you scared?’ I said, ‘Shit, I ain’t scared. I’ll chop your asses in a heartbeat.’ I tell you dis cause I don’t play.”

At first, I couldn’t tell who this lady was. I thought that surely she must be the owner. Who else could get away with saying such things so loudly and matter of factly in the middle of a restaurant? After listening a bit longer, I realized that she was indeed the owner, and she was also one of the funniest and boldest people I’d ever meet.

Her name was Mercedes. She swam across the Rio Grande to America as a young girl. She actually said that she was afraid at first because she was a young, pretty virgin and she thought the group she was traveling with might sell her into prostitution. She worked at the fairground for thirteen years and that’s where she learned the skills she has now. She also worked in a restaurant in New Orleans and ended up opening her own restaurant in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. She’s lived in Magnolia and ran this restaurant ever since. She’s actually a local elected official now and her stories of fighting in politics were more than humorous. I could have listened to these stories for hours and her no-nonsense view of the subjects was empowering.

Matthew and I sat and listened to Mercedes tell stories for as long as we could. I’m certain that we could have listened for hours on end. Without further ado, here are some of the hilarious (and vulgar) things that Mercedes said during our short visit. She also showed us the gun on her hip, to give you a bit of perspective on the situation.

“Shit, all this government bullshit. This one says I went to school and I know how to do this shit.” (As she stood behind me taking down numbers from a collection of permits hanging on the wall.)

“I’m not much on computers. I tell everybody, the only thing I know how to do on the computer is get to my porno site.”

“Do I look like your waitress?? I’m the dishwasher. (When people come in asking for things or wanting to see the owner.)

“I intended to open a whore house but ended up with a restaurant.”

“I was Catholic until I found out how much Episcopalians drank. Then I switched.”

“Look at all these flies. You’d think there was a Mexican in here.”

“Shit, I better watch my language or I’m gonna get deported.”

“Shit, that’s right in front of my store. Bitch, I’ll fix you. I went in the attic and cut that line. I don’t get that money. You don’t get that money.” (When talking about how the original owner of the building kept the proceeds of the payphone out front.)

Say what you will about her delivery. (Actually, don’t say anything. This post isn’t about people’s individual thoughts on profanity and such.) Even if you don’t like people who speak in this manner, I couldn’t help but be a bit inspired by her bravery. Not only did this lady literally swim the Rio Grande to get to America, she also has the courage to live her life unapologetically. (For anyone who is concerned, she is a US citizen. We won’t go down that road either.) What I’m concerned with here is that this lady who would seem to be at somewhat of a disadvantage, stands up for her individuality regularly.

Mercedes runs a business, serves through her local government, and makes shit happen every single day. She never once said, “I’m sorry.” She never apologized for being a bit rough around the edges. Instead, she lives her life how she wants to live it. People can either stay or go. Love her or hate her. I got the distinct impression that Mercedes would say and do what she felt to be right, regardless of what others thought. I think you would always know exactly how she felt about a topic and never have to wonder where you stood. In my opinion, there’s something to be said about that frankness. Honestly, I’d like to be around more people like that.

Even though the food was delicious, I won’t remember this place for the BLT. I will probably remember the excessive use of butterfly décor. However, my most distinct memories of La Mariposa will definitely be of Mercedes and her intense comments. I’ll never, ever forget her and part of me hopes to be a bit more like her someday.

I share the story of La Mariposa in hopes that you might enjoy a laugh like we did, and more importantly, that you might be a tad inspired to be a bit more of a bad ass today. Say what you want to say and do what you want to do, unapologetically. It’s the Mercedes way.

If you’d like to see a bit of Mercedes in action, check out the restaurant’s facebook page.

1 Comment Travel 2015 - travel

This week.

July 31, 2015 Pamela Stephens

I didn’t have a blog post go live yesterday or today. My usual post schedule is Mondays and Thursdays. The goal is always to have a post go live twice a week on those days. This week we have posts on Monday and Tuesday because it was my frieniversay and my wedding anniversary. I still intended to have yesterday’s post go live though. However, it didn’t.

This week has been a bit wild. Yesterday, I spent 5 hours with one client and 3 with another, all while negotiating other contracts and navigating my other job responsibilities. I didn’t actually get home/eat dinner/see my husband/sit down until almost 9:00 pm. While that’s not my usual schedule (thankfully), it sometimes happens. When I look back over this week as a whole, I feel a bit dizzy and amazed that I somehow did it all. That’s actually been the case for me the entire month of July, which explains why I feel so tired.

Some would say, “Pamela, don’t worry about the fact that a blog post didn’t get done. It’s not a big deal.” And they’d be right. I’m certainly not worried about it. However, it is important to me. Posting twice a week here isn’t one of those self-inflicted, nonsensical goals that I dread. Instead, it’s something I want to do. It’s my release and my hobby of sorts. When it doesn’t happen, it’s likely because I let life’s other obligations get in the way…not because I didn’t want to.

So here we are on Friday. Looking back over the week, I did so much. Looking forward to the weekend, I’ll continue to do so much. Today though, I’m thankful for the 20 minutes of quiet time I had this morning. I sipped my coffee with wet hair and read 5 or 6 blog posts that I’ve missed lately. I left my phone on do not disturb for a little longer and pretended that I hadn’t already gotten 100 emails. I sat and I sipped, quietly and in peace. Today, I’m immensely thankful for those twenty minutes. I also understand that life is an ebb and flow situation; right now things are a bit cramped and busy. Soon enough, it’ll slow back down.

Today, I’m also thankful for help. Matthew and I made some room in our budget to get some help around the house and today someone will be coming to clean my floors, etc. I am SO thankful for this luxury. If I had to leave home today thinking about floors and bathrooms that needed to be cleaned, I think I’d crumble. Instead, I can leave and focus on other things because I have help today. It’s a fantastic feeling, and I’m immensely grateful for that.

Finally, I’m thankful for a bit of family time that I’ll get to enjoy this weekend. My sweet niece will be spending the weekend with us and I’m looking forward to adventures with her.

If you’re feeling a bit stretched thin and under pressure right now, I’m with you. Just remember, though, everything is for a limited time only. It’ll soon pass, and you’ll be able to breathe a bit easier. It’s part of the ebb and flow, and we’ll both be in a different place soon.

I wish you the happiest weekend of all! See you back here on Monday.

(P.S. The above photos is one of the beauties my husband took in Alaska. Details from that amazing trip are coming soon!)

1 Comment Inspiration & Thoughts 2015 - inspiration - thankful

Happy Three Years!

July 28, 2015 Pamela Stephens

Yesterday was my frieniversary. Today is my three year wedding anniversary! There are anniversaries to be celebrated all around!

It simultaneously feels like yesterday and a thousand years ago that Matthew and I began this journey. We’ve done so many things in three short years.

We’ve bought a house.
Two cars.
Went to nursing school.
Sold a business.
Opened another business.
Dealt with cancer.
Traveled a bunch, thankfully.
Plus, a million and one other things that haven’t been blogged about.

Looking back on these last three years, I can only imagine what the next three hold. I think that the quality that I’m most thankful for in Matthew is his desire to dream with me. In past relationships I always felt a bit held back. Instead, Matthew likes to dream and set big goals just like I do. We have big plans for our life together, and Matthew is able to identify the small steps we need to take to make them a reality. He gets just as excited about new opportunities as I do, and he completely supports my ideas and dreams. I don’t think I could live the caliber of life that I’m living without him by my side. He supports and encourages me, and most importantly, picks me up and pushes me forward when I feel defeated. With this in mind, I just can’t even imagine what all we’ll do next. It has been a productive three years. Here’s to a lifetime more of big ideas and even bigger plans!

I love you, Matthew Petrus.

In case you’re interested:
How we met and our proposal story.

Leave a comment Marriage 2015 - anniversary - husband and wife

Ten Years!

July 27, 2015 Pamela Stephens

Amanda 2015 It has officially been 10 years since I met my very best friend. (For the record, I have two best friends and I can call each of them my “very best friend” at any point. You have to keep up.) Amanda Quimby and I met at Old Navy. We were both part of the opening staff in Monroe, LA and spent many, grueling hours getting that store ready to open.

Since Old Navy, we’ve gone through what feels like a million different life stages together. We’ve done the good, the bad, and definitely the ugly. We’ve laughed and we’ve cried. We’ve became adults right alongside one another and pushed each other along when we didn’t want to “adult” anymore. I’m beyond thankful to have such a fantastic, loyal friend, and I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years hold for each of us. I have a feeling it’s going to be awesome!

For the last several years, Amanda and I have celebrated our Frieniversary. (If you aren’t celebrating a Frieniversary, with your friends, you’re definitely missing out!) In honor of our 10 year milestone, I collected a photo of us from each year since 2008. We actually became friends in 2005. That was before cell phone cameras were a thing, so I’d have to dig a little deeper for those photos. (That definitely makes me feel old..) Happy 10 years, Amanda!

Photos are arranged in date order…2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015!

1 Comment Other Stuff 2015 - Amanda - friends - thankful