Spring Fever

This weekend we took Ian to the toy store. He got enough money to pay about 4 bills and we talked him into saving it and going to the big Toys R Us. After a total of thirty minutes in the toy store and and half the money spent, we headed to the mall. 


Every where you look its Spring. So I thought I would post a few things I found that I am finding yummy for spring and summer. In Tennessee, we usually go straight to summer and have about 1 month of spring before it turns into a sweat lodge.

this adorable dress from Hollister

can you say, take me on a cruise?

these adorable wedges from AE

these are on my list, perfect with jeans or shorts

to satisfy my hippie girl urge

AE

color jeans

I don't own one pair but after seeing these

I better get a pair to be at least somewhat hip
and look like an Easter egg

AE

seriously no joke

I could wear a hat every day of my life

so the one on the right is mine all mine

AE

Source: ae.com via Girls Love on Pinterest

I should have grabbed this bag up

the leather was soft and light weight

AE

I came out of the mall empty handed which only made it worst. I have said how I love window shopping, insert dad face. First on the list would be the shoes. I am always on the hunt for summer shoes. Sometimes, when I find a pair I like I wear them a lot (like every day). Well, that's of course until I decide to shave my legs and wear a dress. Then I wanna slip on something cute. 

I pinned a ton of great things on my Pinterest this past weekend including some of the items above. Come follow along won'tcha?

Do you have spring fever? What are you itching for or is in your wardrobe for this sunny season.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Dusty

linked up the pleated poppy and rolled up pretty

Birthday Partay

We had Ian's birthday party a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I am a terrible mother, I am just now getting around to posting this. A few people have emailed me (cough cough, you know who you are) about posting about my kid more. I will get around to that, but right now all he does is these ridiculous funny faces, so every picture I have of him looks like he either tooted or he's picking his nose on purpose. 

We had a theme birthday, I mean up until your Sweet 16, all kids birthdays are themed. After that its, pray to baby Jesus to be 21 so you can get plastered legally. Oh, the things some kids think about. The nerve. Oh, wait that was me way back when. I had my days of drinky winkies, but now, not so much. Wine every now and then, I like a good Sangria, but I don't like the hangover the next day. I am a total light weight and proud of it. I drifted.

So his birthday invitation said, Your Invited to Ian's Winter Olympics Birthday. Poor kid, born in February. I couldn't have gone into heat any other time to have him in the summer so he could have a swimming party or pony rides. Nope, I had to pop him out in the dead of winter full of snot and viruses galore.

Let me say this, making small children on command do certain tasks is fun. Kids will do anything for candy. It's like a bad game of Simon Says. Dusty says, "stand on your head and fart the star spangle banner" and if you have 3 Hershey kisses, 5 blow pops and some Twizzlers, putty in your hands. So, we had sack races, pin the tail on the donkey in which I spun them around like tops, the duck walk which all these kids cheated at, marshmallow toss which was hilarious; flying marshmallows, and pinata bust. The pinata was hilarious. "Duh" held the rope and moved it up and down. These kids swung like they were hitting in the major league. After a few spins around (yes, lots of dizziness but that what was fun...FOR ME). Whack! After about 20 minutes the box broke and $60 dollars worth of candy. No that's not an exaggeration. $60 smacks, these kids grabbed their buckets like ants crawling towards a bread crumb. 

I made homemade chilly because it was well, chilly, hot dogs and birthday cake. It really was fun. I was totally satisfied being Simon. Seven kids listening to my every word, all for candy in a box. I can't even get my family to clean up their mess much less quack and walk like ducks.

 here is my little crew

that's my kid in yellow with the funny face, proud mom I am

birthday boy

the marshmallow toss

this was the highlight 

Ian and my oldest nephew won both rounds 

sack race
I think she was the only one who stood up
they all fell on their faces...fantastic

bye bye pinata
yes, he's a baseball player, can you tell
my youngest nephew Turner finished off the pinata
I was running and taking cover
he clobbered it but I didn't get a picture (sad face)

marshmallow champs
Wes and Ian

adults in on the candy action

and finally my favorite picture
look what I got, socks and underwear
room is full of kids and adults and he opens a pack of boxers..LOVE IT!

So you saw just a snippet. My camera which I got for Christmas and still have yet to figure out was set on some setting I obviously was too stupid to change. Oh, well, I had fun and thank you to everyone who came, the gifts and for letting me control your children's minds if only for an hour.

Tuesday fun,

Dusty

Ok, fluffy time to get down to business

I made a few New Years resolutions which I never do. Why? Because I never follow threw. I make them, follow them for a while and then think, I am on this and then done. Since turning 40 last year, I have thought about getting in some part of "shape". I ain't no spring chicken and  I want to be able to feel and look good. You know that part of when Ian has over his friends and they go, "your mom's hot" and he is riddled with embarrassment. Last year I lost a ton of weight. Not that I needed to. Really only about 10 pounds, but it turned into about 20. I have put back about 8. But because I am dumpy, it really shows in my thighs and fluffy. 

So fluffy and I have had many talks. But apparently talking to your bum does nothing. What she is saying is get off of it. Well, its hard because my son has baseball this spring which means practice and games and then homework etc. You know the same excuses most women make. I don't have time. But I am so serious about this now. Summer is coming and I want to go to the beach in a bikini all though even if I lose the weight or get in shape I may still sport a tankini. Hey, a girl still has insecurities. 

So, I sat down Sunday devised a workout plan. My sister and I bought the Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis DVDs. We went on line took the survey and low and behold it told us both that our plan was for Glutecentric which means we got back in a nice way. The work out is devised to target those areas that seem to be a little chunky in the monkey. But because I tend to get bored, I am mixing it up. I am starting out slow because its been about 7 years since I have been to the gym. Note to self, teach son how to dial 911. I have 5 workout plans each day something different. It consists of a little hodge podge of things I mixed from researching Pinterest and knowing what types of exercises I like to do. I also bought a timer at the grocery. That way it the bell dings, moma is done. Plus, I needed it, I put crap in the oven and check it every 10 minutes because I forget to set the timer on the oven and have no clue what time I put something in. You know multi-purpose. 

Also, when I was going to the gym, you know way back when, I took a class where it was a mixture of step and kick boxing and I loved it. I really felt it in my butt and thighs, so fluffy is going to feel the burn whether she likes it or not. 

I am going to take it slow starting off with some jumping rope, jumping jacks, squats, and crunches. But every day is going to be something different including Zumba and walking. If I do not look like a cracker by June, I may flex out like the Hulk. 

Here are some of my ideas. I am taping my schedule to the refrigerator and keeping a journal. I also bought some healthy snacks and more fruit. But listen, I ain't givin' up my Mt. Dews just yet or thy peanut butter, so work with me here won'tcha?

Source: shape.com via Girls Love on Pinterest

I saw LeAnn's workout in Shape magazine a long while back and have kept the pages torn out. So, thinking, oh what the heck, I will tweet her and ask if she still does her boxing regimen because you never know if this is real or just some BS Hollywood crap for a magazine and she tweeted me back with @DustyAlley Boxing is THE BEST. So cool right? And it seems she's still boxing. Twitter feed lately is of her workouts. I hope she still posts her updates, so I can have ideas.

Source: tonedcurves.tumblr.com via Girls Love on Pinterest

This is the workout with the jumping jacks, squats, push ups, crunches etc. I am mixing it up a bit and throwing in some jump rope and some 3 pound weight lifting for arms, but I think this will really be beneficial to me.

So combine this with some walking to enjoy the fresh air, Zumba to dance my booty off and the Tracy Butt method. Look out hospital ER here I come and the wait time better be less than 9 minutes.

I would love to hear your fitness routines. Fill me in or tell me what you think would be beneficial.

Happy Monday,

Dusty

My week in Instagram & Pixlr

Happy Friday to all. Hope your weekend is filled with lots of fun and pictures. Here is my week in Instagram and Pixlr. 

yummy candy at the party store

Peek a Boo! I see you! Pixlr pic

these puppies where setting on my door step Friday 

when I arrived home, LC hooker heels

this lot of makeup for a total of $16 smacks

the blush is amazing, great knock off of

Nars Orgasm

thy workout once the "roid" goes away

sister and I are on our ways to the bikini 

Tracy Anderson Metamorphisis

So there you have it. A fun week and I love looking at all the photos on Instagram. Follow me on Twitter to see all my photos. Happy Weekend!

Hugs,

Dusty

Two Cents Thursdays

If you have followed along this week, well it’s been interesting. It’s not been a rock your socks off type of week really, but worthy of a few two cents. Here what I am pondering this week.

My weekend started out with a birthday party for my son. He turned 7. We called it “Ian’s Winter Olympics Birthday Party”. The kid was born in February. Prime time snot season. So, I wondered how many people would cancel. I actually at one point asked “Duh” why he couldn’t have knocked me up so the child could have a warm birthday party filled with pony rides and slip-n-slide. But it turned out to be a great crowd. The kids did sack races, marshmallow toss, pin the tail on the donkey and a piñata. I love children. You can get them to do anything. So much fun watching them fall flat on their faces, bean each other with marshmallows, twirl in circles and get dizzy to bust a piñata and pin a tail on a donkey. Suckers!!!!!!!!!!!! But geez busting a piñata takes forever. It’s like the owl on the tree when he says how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop..three. Well, not a piñata, and $60 dollars worth of candy later, it was sugar high for all involved and no need to thank me parents. Your welcome and lose my address when your kid needs a new grill when his teeth rot out from the bucket o’ candy he or she received.

The weather here in Tennessee is crazy. Snow Sunday, pea size hail on Wednesday and 67 degrees today. It’s the apocalypse, I swear.  I don’t know whether to kiss a snowman or bring out the Daisy Dukes and wash my car like a bad Whitesnake video. (Gawd, I think I just told my age)

Did you read my blog yesterday? Well, a little update...I didn’t insert the bullet just yet. I am trying a homeopathic approach. I stay home and not go down that path just yet.

And finally, did anyone watch the Whitney Houston funeral? I did, in the midst of party planning, I was glued. I cried at the end. I mean how long does it take to bury someone? That bastard Bin Laden shot dead, thrown out to sea for shark food and wallah! Done like a New York strip steak  in a day. I think when I go; I want to be carted around in a car like the guy from Weekend at Bernie's. Remember that movie? Put me some sunnies on, lip gloss, tape a smile on my face and let’s go for a drive and maybe some volleyball on the beach if this is the new standard to funerals.

Hope your week has been delish! What’s your two cents today?

Hugs,

Dusty

Sounds like a personal problem

Ok, so I am going to write a post about something very personal. I don’t know how many of you have ever experienced it, but I am going to go there with it because not only is it hurtful, its kind of funny.  A few weeks ago I got violently ill. On top of praising to the porcelain god and calling him Ralph, I also praised him with the toots of what I am sure was a tuba in the marching band. After all that happened, I noticed that something wasn’t right. Setting at my desk one day I got very uncomfortable. I felt like I had a stick poking out of my butt. I squirmed and couldn’t get comfortable. After talking with “Duh”, he said, “honey, I think you have a hemorrhoid.” I was like oh, no. I was pregnant, swollen up like a whale, gained 40 pounds and walked like a duck, and didn’t get those things.  I pride myself on being the only pregnant girl who didn’t.  I said, “no you have hemorrhoids’, not me.” Yes, he has had hemmalites as my son calls them since he was young. Once when I got so pissed off at him I knew the only way I could get him back was to put rubbing alcohol in his precious bottle of Tucks pads. The poor guy came out of the bathroom running around the house saying his ass was on fire and I had to get in my car, drive down the street and call my BFF because that was the ultimate revenge. Needless to say, I was proud of myself and have always been proud that I can have every ailment there could be at one time or another but dangling butt ornaments weren’t one of them.

Fast forward a few weeks later and I was setting at work and all of the sudden it came again. I absolutely couldn’t stand myself. I gave in to the possibility and at lunch rushed to the local pharmacy and there it began. The shelves of butthole relief. I picked up every package. Read it. It wasn’t like maxi pads. There was no heavy, light, and medium flow. No super, panty liner or overnight selection. It was buy me and insert into anal area. I mean “anal area” it sounds so volatile. I decided on Prep H because it’s been around for 100 years. I mean they must be doing something right. I went back applied and went back to my chair.

As the day went on, I became a 3 year old, squirming in a shopping cart at the grocery ready to get out. I sat to the side, on my legs, stood up and down. I mean if someone was paying attention it might look like I was giving a sermon on Sunday because all I kept saying was, “oh, gawd, this is awful.”  UP down, up down. I call my husband, he intern keeps telling me the same thing; when you get home insert bullet and go lie down because you will have leakage. LEAKAGE! YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT LEAKAGE! Screw him, I call my friend, W and she then tells me the same thing. After thinking there could be a possible conspiracy between the two of them, I hang up and think why in the world couldn’t I have gotten like a boil on my butt cheek, or a tumor growing out of my forehead? Why is it that I have to have the forbidden condition of hemorrhoids’.  I want to call the doctor but I don’t want to have to answer to the lady that answers the phone, “Yes, I’d like to make an appointment to see the doctor.” “What’s the nature of your visit?” “I have dangling death hanging out my ass!” Ugh, seriously I am not equipped.

As I write this, I don’t know what the outcome will be. I have pulled out the package of bullets, read it, and although the sound of relief is like dancing fairies in my head, I am not sure what I will do. Yes, it’s probably a lot of information, and you are thinking, she did go there, but you know we all experience something in our lives that is probably forbidden to talk about. But really, we’re friends right? Sharing is a beautiful thing. I just became Dr. Oz didn’t I? No matter what, I gotta do something. I gotta set on fluffy all day and the feeling of blazing knives being extended from “the region” isn’t as fun as the magic show and some nice girl throwing them. It’s life. I got a condition.. literally a pain in my ass!

Happy Wednesday friends!

Dusty

I wonder

There are days when I feel just like a robot. Same ole same ole every single day. Get up and ready, tend to the kid, work, come home, dinner, chores, bed and wake up and do it all over again. I often daydream. I think we all do. It’s like, when I can’t go shopping because the monthly bills are due and I really would like something new, I still go, just to window shop. I love to window shop. I often can be satisfied, if I just go in, look at the items, try them on then leave. Although it makes me want them even  more, I know there will be a day when the sale rack calls my name.

I used to have a well paying job where I didn’t have to worry the stress if I bought a new pair of shoes, but since the recession, that’s not the case. Everyone’s needs always come before mine. I did just recently by a few things, but with gift cards and a little tax money, I got a few things I have been dreaming about, with the exception of those Navy mid-calf Hunter Boots which you will hear about until they arrive on my doorstep.

I wonder what it would be like to have all the money in the world, then I could live like a soap opera star. Get up, go to the gym, hit the mall on the way home and not stress about saving my money because some bill is due. Hell, who am I kidding, with all the money in the world, I could ditch the gym and have some plastic surgeon suck the fat out of fluffy and I would be tight as an unused rubber band.

I wonder what it would like to be tall, so I wouldn’t have to have every pair of pants altered. Most of the time I don’t. If mom can’t do it then I just let them drag the floor or wear heels. The worn look I tell myself is in.

I wonder what it would be like to dye my hair back to its natural color, dark ash brown. I have tried once but it freaked me out because I have highlighted my hair so much I felt like a different person. But I see these women with this beautiful dark hair and it’s shiny, tossing it around like a high priced hair shampoo commercial and I think, oh, the less maintenance would be nice.

I wonder what it would be like to have brown eyes and boobs. I have family members that have dark eyes. They are so intense. I have family members that have big kahoona’s. They say they hate them, I just want to try them just once.

I wonder what its like to be a PTA mom. I will never be a PTA mom. I don’t like clicks. I cuss too much. Baby daddy got too many tattoos and looks like a walking coloring book, we wouldn’t fit in with those type of people, that their every breath is what little Johnny does every second of the day. I want Ian to grow up being humble. We praise him, but I want him to live in HIS world not a fantasy world I create for image purposes only. So much of that goes on now. I love my son more than anything, but I got a life. But I know I will never be atop the phone tree.

I guess I could wonder all day long but the facts are these. I am happy. My life isn’t perfect. People aren’t always accepting, I have the necessary things I need. My body is my own temple how I nurture it is my own conflict with my head and getting off my ass (see I cussed). How I look is the way I was born. If people find me beautiful then I am in awe of that. I am not conceded, nor vain. But I am proud that I am not Cinderella by day or night. So, I guess for me I can wonder all I want and its okay because the mirror reflects me and what I see is, Dusty de.

What do you ever wonder? Does it ever cross your mind, but you realize it’s OK, just to be who you are? Let me hear your daydreams.

Hugs,

Dusty

Plain & Simple

Being from the South, there has always been a standard of grace, good manners and beauty. Southern women are known for the image of always being the bell of the ball. When I was younger, I can remember my grandmother standing in the bathroom fluffing her beehive that could have put Marge Simpson to shame and drawing on her eyebrows with precision. Women have been taught that image and how you look is almost insistent when it comes to the public eye. My mother’s generation and generations before that never leave the house without their face and hair perfect not knowing who they would see out and about. A secret society of sorts. You work all week but on the weekends you never know who you would see at the local grocery or drug store.

To this day my grandmother or my mother do not go out without some type of “war paint” as my grandfather called it on their faces to venture to Wal-mart. I mean seriously its Wal-mart, who cares! But they do because it means you might see Betty Jo who’s married to the only insurance agent in town and you might have to discuss what took place at the Friday night football game or who’s child is now divorced..oh, the shame.

Growing up especially high school and my twenties, I had the same mentality. My face was covered in “war paint” and my hair had enough Aqua Net on it that if a match was lit within 2 feet I probably would have burnt to a crisp. Image death by hairspray. It’s seriously a wonder the girls of my generation weren’t toxic with the sprtiz and chemicals on our hair we inhaled and I should honestly have stock in Agua Net extra firm hold in the white can with the pink label. Of course, now I realize I had to wash and style my hair everyday because after shellacking my hair with that stuff, you couldn’t get a comb through it the next day and the dried flakes it made in your hair was disgusting. We didn’t have dandruff it was “the spray.”

Today, I still "war paint" myself up when necessary but if I am not going out, this chick doesn’t put on a stitch of makeup. I could care less who I see in Target because I hate going to Wal-mart. I’d rather be hit in the head with a wet squirrel than go there. I don’t dress up to venture to the grocery. And most days on the weekends, you will find me in a hat and ponytail because really, I am flat ironed right out. I actually have crazy curly hair. No not Taylor Swift crazy just naturally wavy hair that if blown dry naturally, me and Buckwheat from the Little Rascals could compete. Don’t get me wrong. I am a sucker for makeup. I love it. Just bought a whole lot of it recently (sucka). I have at least 5 curling irons, one for each type of small, medium and large curls I can twirl for beachy waves. I have enough hair products to make my hair stand up on its ends and now have learned the art of dry shampoo. But I am now realizing that beauty does come with without all the brushes and strokes. A little powder on the nose, some mascara and lipgloss and out the door I go. Let’s not get any wires crossed here, I think I look like death eating a cracker without my war paint, but I also see all these beautiful women barefaced and think gosh I wished my skin looked like that. So sometimes you gotta just let it breath and if people don’t love you for the inside then the façade on the outside will eventually break down.

I took this picture with the new phone just messing around. I posted another one on Friday that had been edited with software. But this photo really made me think about my clean, plain skin. I had no makeup on, I think a little mascara. But still knowing that I don’t get all gussied up like my grandmother or my mom, as a southern women I still apologize for not looking like a million bucks every single day. It’s just a southern thing, its second nature and I don’t think that will ever change in my generation or the next.

“To bare your true self is to see yourself in the purest form”.  Happy Monday loves.

Dusty

My week in Instagram and Pixlr

So you know I got my new iPhone and promised I would Instagram like a wild woman like a sale at Macy's. Well, I haven't gone overboard. I just really am still figuring out my phone. But I did some things. I also by the way of Miss Makaila over at Distinctly M downloaded the app, Pixlr. It's sooooo much fun. If you like Instagram you will love Pixlr. Of course, I have been living under a rock, so I am sure all you smart beauties know all about it. If so, work with me won't you?

And away we go, here's my roll..

Baby its cold outside, so we had a fire all weekend

Worthless guard dog #1, Mille

this is what you do at 84 years old..sleep

Worthless guard dog #2, Libby Lou

this is what you do at 2 years old..sleep

Sunday Funday consists of reading material

I think I would buy a pile of poop if it had her picture on it

Valentines Day

It said, "After all these years, you're still my favorite dessert"

I called this "breakfast"

Dedicated to Ruthie Hart

my stance against working on Valentines Day

no makeup Thursday

Pixlr is so fun because I actually looked like death on a stick

Awww, I know, I know, my first time and it's not jump off the pages, but boy was it fun. Pictures in any form make us so much more aware of the beauty of our surroundings. We can take anything and make it scrummy with a little fun and software. I wish you all a wonderful weekend. 

Hugs,

Dusty

Two Cents Thursdays

Oh, my goodness what a week. Since the weekend I have been asking myself, what’s up world?  I didn’t post yesterday. I usually do a faboo fashion post, but I was blank. It was love day, me and the kid ate Sonic burgers and snuggled and dad was working, so it was that kind of day to just say, “hey, I got nothing, so sue me.” I have read were some people have blogs for days in their que’s and I have a hard time with that because what I write about usually I either pondered it for a few days, made notes about it or it just mysteriously pops into my head. But if I decide to take a little one day break, I may have to think about that “save up blog post” for that day. Any hoot, let us not ponder it and since there was not fantabulous fashion post then you all can go naked.

Since its Thursday, hey, hey, hey as Fat Albert would say, let’s get all fly up in here. Gangsta talk in Nashville is funny. If you’re from Compton high five, if you’re from Nashville, well, enough said. I mean really? Although I did sign for a package on Tuesday from a guy with all gold teeth and he had on a sweatshirt that said “Hustler since 1974”. Maybe he’s gangsta? I believe I actually saw my first person ever with a grill. He didn’t talk gangsta. I wonder what he would have said, if this olive on a white cracker said, Yo, thanks, hope your day is rollin’!” Of course, he would have thought I was stupid. I would have looked stupid.  Oh, well, yo lets move on.

Did anyone watch the Grammy’s? I loved it…for most of the parts. I actually thought it was one of the best in a long time.  I mean who didn’t want to bring their milkshake to the yard when they saw Bruno Mars? Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, that song makes me want to kiss strange people right on the lips.  LL Cool J is one of those people that you would like to set down with and say, and your real name is what again? Love him. Lady Gaga, I can’t even.  The Beach Boys featuring Adam Levine. Well, Adam five minutes with you and I could roll you around in flour, dip your ends in chocolate and call you a cannolli. Yummy you are. I love the Beach Boys but that was when I took a slight break.  Chris Brown did a little jig and his ex Rhianna well at least she didn’t lip sync all her song.

Did anyone freak out when they thought Katy Perry’s song screwed up. I did. Fell for it, hook, line and sinker. But she’s cool even though her hair brings me back to the days of those blue icy cones you used to make with a kit and add blue or red flavoring to them.  Nikki Taj Mahal or whatever her name is? One word AWFUL. That was the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. Some people apparently were offended by it. I wasn’t offended. I am pissed-  4 minutes of my life I can’t get back. And then, Jennifer Hudson. Wow! I cried. Whitney Houston passing away is shocking. We were watching The Voice Saturday night when it came across the screen. I don’t know what to think. I will never ever understand drugs. I just don’t.  I barely have enough money to live life. These people have all the money in the world, the attention and a lives to live beyond their imaginations and they destroy it with drugs. I feel for her daughter and her family, but as a mother the last thing I would ever want my child to see is me high as a giraffe's ass every day of his life until my poor body couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t know what happened. It’s not my place to say, except its sadness and it’s caused sadness around the world. Hopefully she is free from the demons and ghosts. But who rocked it out for me…..Adele! Hell-O. I have to confess, please don’t hate me. I just a month ago discovered her. I live in a world of Disney Channel and Kids Bop. I had heard Rolling in the Deep a ton but had no idea who sang it until, ding dong, I heard Someone Like you. I love her and that voice. It’s haunting and sad, yet original and raw.

And gawd finally, you know on your car mirrors where it says, objects appear closer than they are? I am so tupid! I was backing out the other day in the work parking lot, look up and slam on my brakes. I mean to the point of you heard my tires. My head flew forward almost hitting the steering wheel. I was about to back right into a Tahoe. I compose myself, look out the back window and see that I have plenty of room. Hello, dumb ass! I so totally looked around to see if anyone saw what I did, then took off like a bat out of hell. I seriously think there are black marks.

Well, Happy Thursday. What’s your two cents. It’s been a crazy week. Fill me in!

Hugs,

Dusty

The First

Do you remember your first crush? Your first love? Your first kiss? The night you fell in love or your first embrace? Love is a powerful thing. It takes your emotions to different levels. Your heart is more powerful than your head. We always chose our hearts first because that power is stronger. Love also takes on many colors, different levels of significance and the one power that we do have is to choose it or not. 

I remember my first crush, my first love, my first kiss with the man in my life and I am so lucky because I got to relive those same emotions the day my son was born. So you see love comes at different times in our lives and when you feel it that very second, you own it one hundred percent.

I love this video. It reminds me of the first time for everything that every made my heart swell and at that very second, I owned the night.

Happy Valentines Day, 

Dusty

Yahoo! I got it!

I have multiple wish lists and have hem hawing around about this one on my list for quite some time. I have asked friends, electronic geeks, read reviews and gone back and forth over this little puppy. The great debate of Droid vs iPhone. Pro's and Con's of having each one and which would fit best in my life and my blog. After much debate, I decided on the iPhone! Yahoo! I am sure everyone that I have drove nuts talking about it is finally please that I finally made a choice.

I have wanted an white, not black, white iPhone since I saw them. It had to be white because they are pretty and girly. I will look like I have knowledge and be kind of fancy doing so. I have loathed my Blackberry for the last year. I stepped on it at Christmas so the screen was shattered and every time someone saw it they couldn't believe it still worked and asked me repeatedly, "Dusty, when are you going to get a new phone?" My reply, "When I shit a money tree!" Well, I tried but when my tree didn't grow, I depended on Uncle Sam who we all know isn't my uncle but because I made so little and have a kid, he got together with some of his friends and decided I would get a refund, thus I had the money to purchase this little piece of technology.

I walked right into the store, said what I wanted, the guy knew I meant business, didn't ask me any questions, I showed him my other phone, jokingly asked if I could sell it back to them in which he looked at me like I had four heads, I said, it was a joke and we moved on to the purchase. I walked out of there thinking I was hot snot, got in my car and realized that jerk wad didn't show me jack crap about the dang thing. I couldn't even figure out how to make a damn call. So after setting in the parking lot with Ian rushing me to go to Target, I figure out how to make a call (on speaker phone because I had to take off the plastic thing to hear) and away I went! I am NOT mechanically inclined. The fact that I even set up this blog is a miracle in itself and I still don't know how to do everything. I just figured out that the edit HTML is where you can embed links from Pinterest. I had researched that on Google. I am by no means I don't think stupid but machinery with buttons, lights and whistles do not process in my brain until I eff them up big time.

After our adventure to Target in which I was afraid to put it in my purse, came home and started fooling around with it. Also, if you know me, manuals are not in my realm of thinking. If I would just read the manual to my new camera I could figure out how it worked, but I don't. I do things trial by error and hoped to gosh it works out.

I figured out how to dial a call, text and check my email, which took 20 minutes to program because the sales rep couldn't figure out my email..I repeated it over and over at one time I was going to look at everyone in the store and say, "everyone repeat after me "girlslovefriedpickles at gmail dot com., I downloaded apps and Angry Birds for Ian to play, programmed my notifications sounds and ring tones and I am an iPhone fool ever since. I still have no clue how to do some things. I had to Google how to log out my Twitter and come to find out you don't. Duh!

So, I have entered the Apple world. I think I catapulted myself into a whole new league to pretend that I know how Apple products works. NOT! I will just confess, that I wanted a fancy white phone that had Instagram and be done with this because I truly can't lie and say, I wanted it because it had the capabilities to drive my own car. I wanted it because it looks pretty on my ear and I might figure out one day how to fully operate the dang thing. Until then truth hurts, I got it to be Fancy damn it, work with me!

Here she is. I think I should name her, not sure what yet, something sophisticated yet redneck princess. You know maybe I shall check my family tree and see what names have been passed down from generations that way she feels important.

I also pinned this case on my Pinterest forever ago. While dreaming for this phone, I knew I wanted something pretty (you know cause I don't care about breaking the dang thing as long as its pretty) kind of like new shoes. They hurt your feet but you look good so shut up and fight threw the pain. I chose this one...

Source: tibi.com via Girls Love on Pinterest

It's gonna have to wait a few days at $54 smacks and paying a whopping chunk of money, I gotta recover from just the shock of using my credit card and that amount of money coming out of my checking account. Any hoot, there she is one item off my wish list. Actually, a few things came off my wish list this weekend. The weather was so cold and snowy and it forced me to online shop, but I saved up for those things and got lots of discounts and items on sale. 

The only thing I can say is the battery life isn't so wonderful. That may be just me because I have been on it constantly, but it seems it eats alotInstagramming like a crazy woman and can't wait to post those pictures. So, please someone tell me where or if there is place to dump those photos for awesome collages coming to a blog near you.

Happy Monday! Did you do any shopping this weekend? 

Hugs,

Dusty

Hello Friday, I've needed you!

TGIF! I know everyone is saying that today. I don't anyone that says, "Oh, I love you Tuesday, thank Gawd your here." Why? Cause that be tupid! It's going be cold here in the land of Tennessee like a low of 19 Saturday night, so my very fluffy ass will be setting in the homestead with a blazing fire, probably reading blogs, Pinteresting and contemplating a workout plan. After this week, I got get moving. We are going to the beach and  fluff muffin needs to move it. 

I have one little announcement, its just so huge. I realized I have wrote my 100th blog post. Actually 104. I missed it. But I thought I would jump well, mimic jumping and share that exciting, drink worthy news. What the heck, I am going to have a Mt. Dew for the occasion. 

Well, last week I did a post where I picked my top favorite blog posts and had from my standards a great response, so I thought I would do it again. Only this time, I am going to pick three that way you don't get bored to death before the end of this 104th post. If you are one of my beautiful followers, then just leave me some love anyway. It's share day and I know you got the memo.

Stupid Cool

Read it and find out if your Stupid Cool

Smashing Party

My experience with a mammogram

Ditch the LBD

My ousting of the little black dress

So there you have it. I hope you have a great weekend. Fluffy here is going to do the best she can at doing nothing which will end up being something. Happy Friday, friends.

Two Cents Thursdays

Thursday are one more day until Friday and it makes the anticipation worse. Come on Friday. Until then, here's my weekly thoughts for this Two Cents Thursday edition.

I have read a ton of blog posts this week on blogging tips. Do this, don't do that and I am soaking them all in. One of the unanimous things that I have read is about the comments box and verifying with a verification word. I took mine off along time ago because I read many months ago that its a detour for people that want to comment without going through the process. Either way its fine with me. I want a comment box that you just enter the information, hit post and wallah, but dumb girl here can't figure out how to get it. Anyway, I commented on a blog the other day and the verification word was "trannie." I busted out belly laughing. 

The last of our Super Bowl leftovers are gone, thank you baby Jesus. I feel like a human garbage disposal this week.

Ian's birthday was Tuesday. The big 7. When asked were he wanted to eat for his birthday, he said Five Guys Restaurant. This made me giddy. Love a good hamburger. We walked in and saw 3 guys and a girl... is that false advertising? Pondering...

I bought a jump rope for a dollar at Target. Chad looks at me and says, "what are you going to do with that?" Really honey? I thought I would practice lassoing fake bullhorns out in the yard.. I love him so much but I think from now on I should refer to him as "Duh."

I had a follower on Twitter that unfollowed me. Frantic, I was like who would do that how rude. Then realized it was some guy for whom I had no idea who he was. That's ok, DUDE, you weren't that interesting or I would have followed you back. Jerk.

And finally, do people return things to the grocery store? I bought lip gloss, got it home and I look like a ho-dawg, but I feel weird taking it back. I mean Target can put some tape on it and throw it in the half price bin, but I can't bring myself to bring my Hooker Lane lip polish back to the grocery. I mean what am I going to say when I have to tell them why? Oh, its a beautiful color for street walking and please don't take my gas points away? I'll pass and 8 bucks down the drain. I could have ate more cupcakes.

Well, that's my spiel this week. Hope everyone has a great Thursday. What's your two cents?

Hugs,

Dusty

PS..Happy Birthday to my friend, Wendy. Your support and friendship means the world to me. Thank you for always being there, reading and being one of my biggest fans. 

Flared Pretty

When I was little I had these blue, pink and white flower pants and ruffle shirt with ABC's on it. I tried to find a picture but that was impossible in my attic, plus I think my mom has it. Any hoot, I wore it all the time. I am not sure if it was by choice or if my mom just kept it in quick rotation with three kids to take care of but I remember it vividly. Plus, I had this long naturally curly hair which by the way I flat iron every day and my mom just stuck a barrette in it and off I went to school rats nest and all. That was the 70's and now 30 years later, its back in style. Except now, we use a big barrel curling iron to make those beachy waves and pay big bucks for those fashions that were said by several they would never wear again.

This weekend while Pinteresting (usually on a Friday nights while the kid watches Smackdown, yuck) I was looking through my pins and came across this one photo which led me to the inspiration for this weeks post and some spring ideas. When I pinned this photo in a matter of five minutes it was repinned like 22 times for a total overall of 39. Now I know that's not a record but I was kind of thrilled that someone loved the photo as much as I did. For some reason, I want to recreate this look, hair color and all. Which my hair is pretty similar in fakeness. I am also pretty sure that I can find a cheap knock off of the Ray Bans cause Moma can't deal out the dough for the realzies and fake tan myself into oblivion. Isn't she purty? Pretend its me, mmmkay?

Source: weheartit.com via Girls Love on Pinterest

So I immediately became nostalgic and started looking for some cool-mo-de outfits and shoes...on a budget of course. I started scanning the stores and came across this outfit at Kohl's.

Source: kohls.com via Girls Love on Pinterest

These jeans are $34 smackers and I ordered them. I read the reviews and overall they got good marks. Does anyone else read clothing reviews? I literally found a pair of shoes once that were over a hundred dollars and marked down to $25 and didn't buy them because the reviews sucked. Now, I know I am one of those people that will sometimes forgo the practical for hot to trotness, but I got it stuck in my head and told myself no. Still a little sad about it..hold on let me have a moment and a little wine sip. Also, does anyone think the way she's standing is odd? Look at her stomach? Well, I guess she got paid to look like she's a distorted Barbie. Moving on... I then found these shoes. I haven't made up my mind on these, but I am digging them and think they would be cute with some sweet dresses this summer and those jeans. These puppies will have to go on sale because they are $74 smacks, but they are in the back of my mind. What do ya think?

Source: kohls.com via Girls Love on Pinterest

So, there you have my style picks for this week. Hooker heels and jeans with an extra wide leg that I am sure were designed really to keep the air flowing for coolness to the crotch area in the dead heat of summer. You know Kohl's could just be nice and send these to me so I can write my own review. Ha! What's your style this week? I hope you have a great Wednesday. 

Hugs,

Dusty

linked up the pleated poppy n rolled up pretty