One Little Word – February

dertemined

I simply cannot believe January is over already. January is my birthday month, so I’m always a little sad to see it go. They say that time passes more quickly as you get older. If that’s the case, I dread to see how fast it goes later in life! Nonetheless, I’ll stop complaining and welcome February with open arms. As a matter of fact, I’m planning to make the most of this month!

When 2014 rolled around, I tried really hard to pick “one little word” to live by this year. One of my favorite bloggers has been choosing a word for a couple of years now, and I thought it would be a fun exercise. I made a list of options but I just couldn’t commit to one. I’ve learned over the years that asking me to commit to something firmly for a long period of time is just not good idea. I can’t do it. My husband is probably quite nervous about that, but he hides it well. Actually, when we were shopping for wedding rings, I asked him if we could buy another one later if I decided I didn’t like the one we bought anymore. I had such anxiety about committing to one ring that I’d wear every day for the rest of my life. For the record, I absolutely love the ring he bought me and I can’t imagine ever wearing a different one. Funny how that happens, huh?

As I was reading this post the other day, I had the idea to have “one little word” each month. This way, I wouldn’t have to commit to one word for the whole year, and I could tailor each month’s word to fit my goals or needs for that month. With February upon us, I thought this would be the perfect time to start.

For February, my one little word will be DETERMINED.

I am determined to be productive this month. I plan to push ferociously harder towards my goals this month. I plan to use these 28 short days to make serious headway in my plans, so as to set myself up for success this year.

I am determined to let myself breathe this month. I plan to end each day feeling accomplished and proud of my work. I plan to remind myself to relax every evening and to only say nice things to myself. It’s time to cut myself a little slack.

I am determined to block out the negative this month. All too often, I let the negative actions and attitudes of others bring me down. This month, I plan to tune out any and all things that threaten my positivity. There’s no room for negativity in this beautiful life, and I’m putting my foot down this month.

As I prepare for the month of February, I’m excited about being serious about this journey. I’m excited about setting goals for myself both personally and professionally. I’m excited about taking control of my life and steering it in the direction I want it to go. I am also excited that you’ll want to follow along with my journey. 

Photo courtesy of Matthew Petrus. 

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Valentine’s Day Inspiration

Valentine's DayI’ve rekindled my love affair with Pinterest lately, and I decided to share some of my latest favorites. Is it just me or is Pinterest the best place to look when you need a hefty dose of inspiration?? With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite finds.

These nails are what started my Valentine’s Day pin collection. The pins of elaborate art on nails are fascinating, but I’d never attempt such a feat. However, I think I can handle this one!

I think this pillow is adorable! I recently ordered some wall art for my office from Michelle, and this pillow is on my wish list. It’s great for year round decor, but I think it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day!

I really, really want to make some of these heart trees. It looks like such a cute and easy project! You could also do a similar version for other holidays.

I love this tutorial for making a heart cake. I don’t own a heart shaped pan, and this would be soooo much easier than trying to cut out a heart shape. Genius!

This post had some simple but good Valentine’s Day date ideas. Of course, I think you should show people that you love them year round, but there’s nothing wrong with using this holiday to do something extra special.

Feel free to browse my Be My Valentine board if you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day ideas. Plus, you can see my quick and easy heart wreath from last year here.

Have you seen any fun Valentine’s Day projects or decor that I should add to my list? Please share!

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What We Wore: ’90s Palooza

90s OutfitsLittle excites me more than ’90s music, so when Amanda invited us to come along to a ’90s Palooza last fall, we jumped at the opportunity! To make this event even more amazing, ’90s attire was required. Costumes and ’90s music…what could be more fun??

As usual, I waited until the night before to start getting my outfit together. Turns out, I had a much harder time than anticipated. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the disaster in my closet. I eventually settled on something and created a ’90s look from high-waisted cutoff Levi’s (that didn’t actually fit me) and a velvet crop top…oh, how I love velvet! I was rather brave to show my midriff, especially without a tan, but when a ’90s event comes around, you gotta make the most it! I’ve been looking for an excuse to wear that sequined choker…this was the perfect moment!

Matthew ripped up some old jeans, wore a flannel shirt unbuttoned, and a hat backwards. It took me a long time to get used to his new look…it was like I was back in middle school! Also, be sure to notice that hemp necklace I snagged at Goodwill. Amanda looked a little more “put together” than me. She wore shorts with tights and combat boots, a denim vest, and flannel…the epitome of ’90s grudge.

90s OutfitsOne of the highlights of the night was running into the Spice Girls!! You would have thought that they were the real deal if you saw how excited Amanda and I got over them. The Spice Girls are definitely on the top of the list of things I miss from the ’90s.

90s Palooza

Matthew, Amanda, and I are known to have a barrel of fun together, but we certainly enjoyed this evening at the Dixie Center for the Arts. We’re already planning for next year and can’t wait for more ’90s attire, good times, and fun music!

This sound like an event you’d enjoy? Feel free to join us this year!
Warning: you’ll leave with a sore throat from screaming your favorite songs. It’s all part of the experience.

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Mom Update: Surgery & A New Apartment

Mom's New ApartmentThings are moving along nicely with Mom’s treatment plan, but I thought I’d give everyone a quick update of where we are.

As you know, she completed her chemo and radiation treatments right before Christmas. Our next plan of attack is surgery to remove the tumor, which is currently scheduled for February 25. In the meantime, she’s under strict instructions to take her medications regularly, eat well, and get lots of exercise. She needs to build lots of strength to be prepared for the surgery. We go back to Shreveport on February 12 for the pre-op appointments. As of right now, they’re expecting her to spend one week in the hospital there before returning home.

In other news, she got the keys to her new apartment this week! She’s pretty excited to get moved in and has really enjoyed preparing for and making plans to decorate the new place. We’ll spend most of the weekend getting her settled in, and I’m sure she’s looking forward to getting back into a routine.

As always, she thoroughly appreciates all of the sweet messages and comments. We still have a few hurdles to jump, but we’re making good progress. Feel free to leave her a note of encouragement here. She loves reading them!

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Cabin Fever

Walking on the nature trailWhen I shared details of our handmade Christmas, I mentioned Matthew and I taking a little trip as our gift to each other. This trip had to meet a few guidelines.

  1. It had to be within a relatively short driving distance. Neither of us could take much time off work.
  2. It needed to be somewhat inexpensive. We hadn’t budgeted for a big trip, so this trip should ideally only cost the amount of money that our Christmas presents would have.
  3. It’s sole purpose should be a chance for us to spend quality time together and reconnect. Most of our trips are to explore and see/do as much as possible.

Matthew & IWe started with a list of 10 places and narrowed it down to 3 or 4 that we kept gravitating to. Finally, I stumbled across the cabins at Jimmie Davis State Park and decided that it fit all of our goals perfectly! While it wasn’t even on the original list, it was only an hour away, relatively inexpensive, and offered plenty of solitude and opportunity to relax.

On New Years Eve, we invited some friends to come and celebrate with us. We played board games, discussed resolutions, and stayed up late. We talked about what 2013 entailed and our hopes for this new year.

AgricolaAfter our friends left, Matthew and I took naps, laid around in our PJs, and played more board games. We didn’t use our cell phones or watch any TV. We stared out over the beautiful Lake Caney and soaked up the quietness and solitude. Before leaving the park, we walked the Soggy Bottom Trail to enjoy a little more nature before heading home. I love nature walks!

All in all, this short trip was a major relief for the both of us. It was great to have a couple of days away from the “real world” and just be together.

Nature TrailIf you’re looking for a great little space to get away to, I’d highly recommend this park. It was very clean and well-maintained and just what the doctor ordered for Matthew and I.

We’re home now and several days into this new year. I guess it’s time to get back to reality. As a matter of fact, it’s time to get cracking on those 2014 goals. I have big hopes and dreams for this year, and this little trip was just what I needed to get focused and energized.

fireplaceWhat’s your favorite place to sneak away to when you need to recharge? We’re always looking for places to try, so please leave a suggestion!

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2014 Goals

GoalsI hate New Year’s resolutions. I have always felt like they were useless. To me, it has always seemed like people set these lofty, unobtainable goals that last a mere month before going to pot. There’s one tiny, little day between this year and next year…how can one little day enable you to make major life changes??

This year though, I’m falling into the trap. I’m setting resolutions…or let’s call them goals rather. To make it even worse, most of them are the typical stuff that almost pains me to discuss.

FitnessIn 2014 I want to do the following:

–exercise more. I want to do some sort of physical activity at least 2-3 times per week. My main goal here isn’t to lose a ton of weight (although I wouldn’t mind shedding 5 pounds or so). Instead, I just want to have a healthy lifestyle and add a few years on to my life.

–obtain an organized house. I’ve spent the last year and a half trying to make this house into a functional home for Matthew and I. Merging two full households is way more difficult than I thought it would be! We’re learning more about what we need from this space, and I’m determined to make it happen.

–blog at least twice a week. This has been my goal for a bit. I’ve done much better lately, but I still let this space fall to the wayside when I get busy. However, it’s important to me both personally and professionally, and it’s about time that I make it a priority. I deserve the freedom to let myself have time to write, and I need to remind myself of that.

–try yoga. I’ve always had a slight aversion to yoga, and I’m not even sure why. However, I’m seeing how beneficial it can be, so I want to give it a whirl. — I’d appreciate any tips!!

–finish decorating. I’ve been promising a home tour for over a year now and it hasn’t happened. Why? Because I never feel finished. I’ve changed our bedroom completely 4-5 times and it still has no clear direction. I mentioned wanting to finish it here and it’s still not done! The only room that I like and I’d consider finished is the living room. Sad, but true. It’s time to make some magic happen!

–start and maintain a Project Life album. Blogland is full of amazing PL albums. People have been doing these for several years, and I want to give it a whirl. I’ve had the supplies for several months now, but taking that leap is a little daunting. Ones of my goals this year is to make it happen.

–create books for our last two years. I came across some Smash books at TJ Maxx and almost jumped for joy. (I love paper products and these albums fascinate me.) I have a travel journal going already, but I want to quickly and easily compile the important stuff from 2012 and 2013.

–update our travel journal. I need to add details from our trips to Memphis, Virgina, and Nashville. To be honest, I sort of forgot that I had started this album. Oops! It’s time to get back at it.

–dedicate more time to things I enjoy. I talked before about not giving myself time to enjoy life. I’ve done much better about this lately, but I still need to do even better. I deserve time off. I deserve time for myself. I deserve a creative outlet.

–say more nice things. It makes my day when a stranger says I look pretty today or compliments my outfit. We all love a little positive reinforcement, and I want to be one of those people who are always lifting someone else up. My new (unofficial) goal is to say at least one nice thing to someone every day. Most of the time we’ll think, “That’s a cute shirt,” or, “I love her hair,” but we seldom tell that person. This year, I’m going to focus on saying those things out loud. It’s time to really make a difference.

–wake up earlier. I’m not a morning person. Waking up is something that I hate possibly more than anything else. However, I always feel 100% better when my day gets started earlier than usual. I’m not hoping to be up before dawn, but I’d like to try to rise just a little earlier to have some extra quiet time in the mornings. — If any of these goals are a bust, it’ll be this one. Ha!

Party SuppliesAs you can see, several of these goals are the typical stuff…exercise and get organized. I don’t like setting New Year’s goals in the first place, much less the same ones that every other person is doing. However, 2013 was a rocky year. For the last few months, I’ve been thinking that there are several things that I’d like to do differently. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and months into years. Before we know it, this ole life will be over. If I (and you) don’t start making changes, we’ll die and have missed out on the life we always wanted. Seriously, you only get one shot. Since I’ve known I wanted to be more diligent about creating the life I want, I’ve been thinking about what that means for a while now. As the New Year approached, it gave me a hard deadline to roll out these new goals for myself.

I hope that February and March will bring with it progress on these initiatives. I hope that we are all able to carve 2014 in to the year we want it to be. A friend posted this the other day: “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. I hope you write a great one.” While I still think it’s trivial to think of a new year as a “fresh start,” we can all use 2014 to work towards a better life. Remember, if you don’t like something about yourself, change it. You only get one shot…make it a good one!

Are you setting goals this year? Let’s talk about them in the comments!

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Handmade Holiday

Christmas TreeThis year Matthew and I decided to do something a little different for Christmas. Rather than buying the usual gifts, we decided to take a little post-Christmas getaway to reconnect and rest from the busy holiday season.

I still wanted to have gifts to open on Christmas, so I suggested we each buy a simple $20 gift…just to have a present under the tree. Then, Matthew suggested we make each other something. He loves to work with his hands, and I adore a good craft project, so this was a genius idea!

I’ll spare you all of the details, but eventually we had wonderful, handmade gifts to open. Matthew made me a coat rack from pallet wood and some of the vintage doorknobs he bought me for Christmas last year. We’ve desperately needed a place to hang our coats, and I’ve been anxiously waiting for a project to use some of my doorknobs. My favorite part is that the blank space can be used to switch out various artwork and seasonal decor. I think it’s adorable that he went to Hobby Lobby to shop around for the mirrors he hung there. I should also mention that he made the entire thing by hand…no power tools were used whatsoever!

pallet wood coat rackFor Matthew’s gift, I decided to try my hand at making some bow ties. First of all, I should admit that this was a much bigger undertaking that I thought, especially since it’s been 15+ years since I’ve really used a sewing machine…and that was with my Mom’s help! Nonetheless, several retakes, multiple machine adjustments, and lots of mumbled curse words later, Matthew got 5 new bow ties! (I used this tutorial and pattern if you’re interested in making your own.)

Overall, I loved the handmade Christmas project, and I think we might do it again sometime! I hope that you all received heartfelt gifts as well, but most of all, I hope you spent a lot of quality time with loved ones.

DIY bow tiesThis Christmas season came and went so quickly, and while I’m happy to get back to a somewhat normal routine, I’m sad for the holiday spirit to fade. In an effort to enjoy the season more, I’ve made a few goals for next year. I hope to:

  • decorate earlier. I love holiday decor so much, so I want to have more time to enjoy it.
  • create more DIY decor. There are so many wonderful ideas out there for holiday decor. I want to reserve more time to create.
  • use more thoughtful wrapping. I LOVE wrapping presents. This year I ran out of time and had to rush through the process. Next year, I want to really enjoy it. I usually feel obligated to use up all of the previous year’s paper before opening new rolls. Next year, I want my wrapping to match my tree, and I want to use more personal touches, like these photo name tags for example.
  • consider more handmade gifts. I love the thoughtfulness that went into mine and Matthew’s gifts this year. Maybe it would be nice to pass that on to other friends and family. The idea of an entire handmade holiday sounds lovely…daunting but lovely!

How about you? Are you excited to see the holiday season fade or sad to see it go? What would you like to do differently next year? Surely I’m not the only one to set goals for the next year…let’s talk!

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Merry Christmas!

Christmas CardMerry Christmas from Matthew & I! We hope everyone has a splendid holiday season and thoroughly enjoys time with family. We love you all!

Follow along with some of our Christmas activities with #petruschristmas on Instagram!

This year’s card was designed by Christina over at Lacey Fields on Etsy. She did a fantastic and prompt job and was a pleasure to work with. You should look her up for next year’s cards, party invitations, etc!

 

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Our Final Chemo/Radiation Treatment!

Mom's Last TreatmentYesterday marked Mom’s very last chemo and radiation treatment!! I’m going to let that sink in for a bit.. It’s a really big deal…

I haven’t been able to do a full update on Mom lately, but rest assured that we’ve been fighting hard over here in My Neck of the Woods.

Here’s the quick version:

  • We spent a week in the hospital – dehydration, low blood pressure, dropping potassium levels, mystery infection, and a host of other and much more harsh symptoms. She’s a trooper though. (She got out just in time for Matthew and I to leave for Thanksgiving in Nashville.)
  • She spent Thanksgiving week recovering from the long and tough hospital stay.
  • We had a really good week.
  • Insurance required her to try another version of her medicine, which made her treatment symptoms rush back in full force.
  • We had a really bad week.
  • We got the medicine switched back and are currently working on getting her leveled out again.

RadiationBasically, this whole experience has been a series of ups and downs – a roller coaster of feelings, symptoms, and emotions. Every single day was/is different. Some days she felt great…others were bad. The worst part for me has been watching. I suppose it’s sort of like having a sick child…you see that they’re hurting and there’s nothing you can do to fix it. This is particularly hard for me because I’m a “fix it” kind of gal.

As things got tougher and tougher on her, I’ve had to steadily remind myself that this is cancer. Cancer. It’s not a pretty thing. It’s not easy. As a matter of a fact, it’s hard. I can’t fix everything because this treatment plan is unavoidably hard.

RadiationNo matter how hard the last week has been, there is always a silver lining. Now, we can celebrate her being DONE with these treatments. This amazingly strong Mama of mine has knocked out 8 weeks of chemo and radiation! (It was six weeks of treatment, 1 week in the hospital, and 1 week of rest.) She’s still not feeling well, but they say she should start feeling more normal within the next 3 weeks or so. I’m optimistically hoping “normal” comes a lot more quickly than that. Honestly, I’m hoping that each passing day of not going to treatments brings with it a slight improvement for her.

What’s next? We will follow up with both her oncologist and radiation oncologist in 3 weeks. The current plan is to let her rest and recover for 6 weeks and then follow up with the surgery to remove the rest of the tumor after that. The surgery will take place in Shreveport and should have a week-long recovery in the hospital there. We will know more definite details once we follow up with the surgeon.

RadiationAll in all, we’re making good progress. In my opinion, the hardest part is over. We knocked those treatments out! She’s not completely out of the woods yet, and she’s certainly not feeling herself. However, progress is progress and we’ve made a huge leap towards the finish line. Please keep lifting her up and sending well wishes and happy thoughts our way. She appreciates every comment, prayer, and message that you send. Feel free to leave a comment here. She is my most loyal reader, after all!

The above pictures are from the radiation treatment room. You can keep up with the process with the #JoycesJourney on twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Also, read the most recent Mom updates here.

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Thanksgiving in Nashville

Should I be making a Thanksgiving post just one week before Christmas? Probably not, but things have been busy over in my neck of the woods. It’s better late than never right??

Matthew and I were lucky enough to get to spend Thanksgiving with his Mom’s side of the family in Franklin, TN this year. (That’s just a bit outside of Nashville for those who aren’t sure.) His mom and step-dad just moved there this summer, so we were very happy for the chance to go visit them in their new home. My Mom spent the previous week in the hospital, so we weren’t 100% sure that we were going to be able to make the trip. (I haven’t had the chance to update you all on Mom lately, but she’s doing much better after her week-long adventure in the hospital. I’ll post a full update soon!) Thankfully (on many accounts), she was released the day before we were scheduled to leave, so we got to travel as planned.

The best part of this trip was the time we got to spend with family. We had almost everyone under one roof (We missed you, Jenna!), and that’s sometimes tough to do when we’re all scattered across the country right now.

Thanksgiving Food

The Thanksgiving dinner was superb (and beautiful), which means I will likely never cook for my mother-in-law. There’s just no way I can get close to her cooking skills…no way. It was DELICIOUS, and I’m not even just saying that to win points with the MIL! Unfortunately, I spent most of that morning in bed sick, but I was still able to get up in time to enjoy the dinner. What’s the positive side to being in bed sick while everyone else prepares for Thanksgiving? Online shopping.

Their home is in a new subdivision where you can see the mountains in the distance. Many of the homes there are still under construction, so we got to go take little peeks of some of the unfinished ones. Since I’m a realtor, this was right up my alley.

Aside from time with family, one of our favorite experiences from this trip was dinner at Puckett’s Grocery in Nashville. (More about that later.)  We also spent an afternoon at The Mill, which was such a darling place! If the name didn’t give it away, it’s an old mill that’s been converted into lots of cute, little shops. The Farmer’s Market is next to it, which I’m sure is lovely during the warmer months. I loved all of the old appliances and decor found throughout.

The Mill in NashvilleThe Mill in Nashville

The Mill in NashvilleThe Mill in NashvilleThe Mill in Nashville

We left for the trip home on Thanksgiving Day. I’m sure most people didn’t spend their holiday traveling, but Matthew and I enjoyed the chance to just chat and catch up. However, traveling on a major holiday presents one, tiny problem — most restaurants are closed. We don’t like to eat at places we can enjoy at home when we travel, but there certainly aren’t many (if any) local hot-spots open on Thanksgiving Day. We eventually agreed that we’d break the rules and eat Cracker Barrel, but every one that we passed was horrendously busy. Finally, we settled on IHOP, but we spotted a Steak ‘n Shake right next door that was open! We don’t have one here in Monroe, so it technically met the requirements. This doesn’t sound like a blog-worthy experience, except that this was our very first Thanksgiving meal to share, just the two of us. No, it wasn’t turkey and dressing, but it was still special to me. (You may remember that all of our “firsts” are immensely important to me.) We made most of our trip home via the Natchez Trace, which is always lovely. One day, we hope to travel the whole route.

Steak 'n Shake

Natchez Trace

Natchez Trace

The purpose of this quick trip was enjoying time with our family. We didn’t get to see many of the sites, but we are looking forward to our next trip there very soon. I am certain that Nashville will quickly become one of our favorite places! Since we’re hoping to go back soon, we’d appreciate any tips about what we should see and do. If you’ve been to Nashville or Franklin, leave us a comment with your favorite local places!

We went to Tennessee on a little mini-vacation last year. Read about it here!

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