Witches, Magic, and Muggles.. Oh My!

For the record-I know its shameful to brag, but I can't help it.

I should apologize for my behavior lately. My hyperactive running around and constant smiling are not just symptoms of "holiday-itis, which is so totally exciting, but are rather due to a BIG trip that I am taking in a few short days.. A trip to.. Universal Studios! Yep, that is right. I will spend part of my Christmas vacation traveling through the sunny state of Florida all the way to our destination-Tampa.

So what are our plans? Well, I am glad you asked. I will be fulfilling a "bucket list" item or two and spend the break flying around on broomsticks and sipping on butterbeer at The Wonderful World of Harry Potter! Hooray!

For those non-members of the HP fan club, I'm sure I lost you awhile back, but for my fellow HP lovers, I know you share my enthusiasm. I will say this, if you have not read the books, you are really missing out. I promise no one will judge you.

Sadly, Cody falls in that category. He is not a Harry Potter fan, but that is just fine and dandy. I'm not going to let that diminish my spirits while I'm there. He is just going to have grin, act super excited for me, and ultimately, bear it.

If you've been there and done that, please share some "have to do's"!

Happy Camper

Hooray! I survived the first semester of Grad School! Through
the blood, sweat, and tears, I made it through with my dignity
and sanity intact. Thank you to my kind, caring, and overly patient
husband who put up with the madness for the last four months.

Not only does he have to deal with my Twilight obsession, but now I've exhibited my own vampire like qualities with sleepless nights and the occasional showing of fangs... sorry dear.

Luckily, I believe it gets better with time. So with some much needed R&R and a large stack of books that have absolutely nothing to do with counseling, I know I'll be ready to tackle the next hurdle of this process.

So for the next four weeks or so, I will be one stress-free, Happy Camper!

Peeking In On Pash

Hello all! Just a quick update on Pashby's happenings. She is blossoming into a rather happy chunk and showing us her sassy personality more and more with each time I see her.

I just know she is going to love shopping- like her Aunt Jess!


Love this picture by Made You Look Photography.

Eat. Pray. Love.

In the past few months, I have become aware, more than ever, of the true power of prayer. It seems that when life throws a wrench in your plans or the carpet under your feet gets pulled out suddenly, the only thing to do is seek guidance and love. And I'll tell ya, the small prayers throughout the day are what has been keeping me going. Through all the life lessons and hardships I have faced these past few months, it is a blessing to know that my moments of worship are keeping me strong, optimistic, and ultimately overcoming these adversities. I know that with a difficult job and full-time graduate program, these are going to be the days that I look back on with hilarity and laughter. What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger right?

Aside from prayer, I have also been reading a fantastic book that warms my heart and gives hope to those crazy ambitions of mine.

287 Secrets of Reinventing Your Life: Big and Small Ways to Embrace New Possibilities

Whether you want to switch careers, be your own boss, start doing good in the world, or simply get in better shape, you'll find the inspiration and practical guidance you need to choose a new path and give yourself a happier, more fulfilling future. I feel so empowered to make change in my for the better- and you know what, I think I just might do that.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Blessings

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I have been reflecting on the past year and the many blessings and notions of gratitude I have. It is often easy to forget or dismiss what I have or the wonderful people in my life. Of course it is never intentional, I just seem to get caught up in always wanting and never seeming to have enough. Yes, guilty as charged.

Good thing a season of giving is right around the corner and it will hopefully put me in check. I vow to stop focusing on what I do NOT have, but rather on the oh so many blessings that I DO have. And boy are their many to count!

I am so Thankful to have such wonderful friends, family, and mentors in my life who never cease to amaze me in their many moments of wisdom and courage. I am overly gracious for my sweet puppy Jasper and the everyday joys that he brings to my life. I am also thankful for my new niece Pashby and the opportunity to be her Aunt Jess. And the list goes on and on.

But most importantly, I am grateful for my dear sweet husband, Cody. I'm not sure what I did
to deserve his endless support and patience; I'm afraid I will never figure that one out.So with all the many wonderful things and people to be thankful for, Cody is without a doubt at the top of the list.

When I count my blessings, I count you twice.

Bookclub anyone?

Boy do I love to read!! Yes, I'm a bookworm and proud of it. Reading keeps me sane and out of Cody's hair. Haha

No seriously. I'm not sure how it works, but with all the hustle and bustle of the day, it is nice to get "lost" in a book and forget about work, stress, and debt. Plus their full of knowledge and other good stuff.


Aside from my reading on my awesome Nook, I like to keep a good paper back around just in case. You never know when technology is just going to totally fail on ya or heavens forbid the power go out...yikes!





Anyways. Here are two of the books I'm keeping on my night stand-thanks to my near and dear friend, Sarah Sartain. She is always so keen and intuitive to others hopes and wishes. I'm not sure how she does it, but I am definitely molding my values around hers.

After several of the "I wish I could" conversations, Sarah very generously gave me these books as a birthday gift and a token of motivation. It may be a silly idea now, but someday I would like to be my OWN boss. (Who doesn't right?)

Thank you for your words of encouragement, Sarah. These books are fuel to the fire to follow my dreams.

Spooktacular Decor

Halloween is and always has been one of my favorite holidays out of the year. Sadly, it seems that my life has been in fast forward and I can't seem to to SLOW down enough to really enjoy the festivities it has to offer-well, not as much as I would like. Oh well, maybe things will be less hectic next year and I will be able to get more in the "spirit" of Halloween.

Luckily, I did have a chance to do a little decorating. (I'm NOT that busy) Here is a collage of some of the spooky decor inhabiting the Bunyard house

Birthday Extravaganza

Well it happened. The day that I have been fearing all year has come and gone. I. AM. NOW. TWENTY-FIVE. (Sigh) I must admit it wasn't as bad as I expected. There was only an hour or two of anxiety about the thought that in five years I will be 30. Yikes! ( I may need to leave the country on a tropical vacation for that one.)

But as a whole, it was a great day and even better week! I had a short work week-I mean really short, 2 days! Whoohoo! On top of that I spent the first two days of the week relaxing and lounging around. Wednesday night I was treated to, an always yummy, Sushi dinner. The Big Day was full of well wishes, gifts, and "welcome to the club"s. I feel very blessed to have a wonderful crew of friends and family who made time to ensure my day was special.

I even decided to stick it to the man this year and skipped the cake. I instead, thanks to my super sweet husband, dined on a dozen, delicious, chocolate covered strawberries. ( You should check out Say It with Strawberries)

Aside from all the wonderful gifts and yummy treats, I was blessed to have taken a mini vacation earlier in the week to kickoff the celebration of my milestone. After some quick packing Friday afternoon, Cody and I dropped Jasper off and headed South to Jackson to spend the night with our dear friend Mark. (Thank you Mark for being a gracious host and offering us a bed to sleep in. We enjoyed our stay.) We set off early Saturday morning with one destination in mind-New Orleans! Oh how I love that city!

So as the story goes, Cody and I spent the next three days and two nights dining on beignets, walking the river walk, perusing the French Market, and soaking up the sun and great weather. We'd hit that city early in the morning and wouldn't return to our hotel till late in the evening. There is just too much to do in only three days! Not to mention that LSU/Florida game was just up the road in Baton Rouge, so that place as buzzing all weekend!

In typical tourist style, The Bunyards rented a mini cruiser, hopped in, and jetted off to the Garden District to see what trouble we could get into. Check us out!

I would to thank my sweet hubby for whisking me away to a much needed weekend of fun and entertainment for my birthday. You are the best!

Pumpkin Burlap Wreath

Check out my latest project! Oh Sew Cute-Pumpkin Burlap Wreath

Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin

If I haven't mentioned it yet, HAPPY FALL YALL! (But I think I have once or twice) As many of you know, this is my FAVORITE month out of the year! Oh yes, I look forward to October and its goodies all year.

Aside from the birthday that I celebrated this month, (more on that later) I also recently took part in one of my other favorite fall rituals-picking pumpkins!! Boy oh Boy how I love those pumpkins! You can call me Charlie Brown and The Great Pumpkin obsession.

Ever since I was a young child, I have been fascinated with pumpkins, gourds, hay, and all that screams Fall and Halloween. Well, not much as changed since then. I still become giddy with excitement when its time to pick, paint, and carve those orangish gourds. I even love to eat homemade pumpkin pie-with a dollop of whip cream added of course.

Here I am toting around my cart full of goodies. Those farmers had BIG smiles when I was checking out.


This year I went to the ole pumpkin patch with mom, but I'll have to make another trip with Cody. I'm sure he'd like to witness the spectacle of me running around like a kid in a candy store. Oh well. I'd hate for him to miss out on the search to find the BEST pumpkin!

Don't forget to pick up yours!

Dog Days

Shouldn't this face be on a puppy treat box? I feel so blessed to have such a sweet companion.

A person who has never owned a dog has missed a wonderful part of life. - Bob Barker

It's That Time of Year Again..

The most wonderful time of the year; according to Cody. Football season has arrived-I mean SEC FOOTBALL has arrived.. And you know what that means, idle weekends will be few and far between. (Just for the record, I really NEED my weekends. Dear Sanity, please do not leave me)
As you know, my husband lives and breaths MSU football and all that it implies. I love him dearly and willingly married him knowing the fact. But no fear! Like a good wife, I went to the football camp this past summer and learned ALL about offense, defense, and the rules of the game.(In case you missed that post, you can read about it here ) So no worries this year, I am fully prepared. Oh yes, I will no longer BUG Cody with questions about plays, line ups, flags, and all ins and outs of the game. There will be no need for questions this season. I will already know.

So now that I know the facts, all I have to do this football season is prepare my wardrobe, contribute to the tailgate menu, and enjoy the wonderful Fall weather.

I think I'm starting to like this college football thing.

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man

Hello Laughs!

Thanks to my near and dear friend, Heather, who loaned me this book, I have been laughing and learning every night before bed. Steve Harvey's tales of how men think and behave has totally changed my world; well, not really, but you know what I mean. I've always wondered why men do...some things they do, and now I totally get it. Now I'll admit, I wasn't so sure of this Steve Harvey character at first, but I love him now.

I've been so tickled by this book that I think I've actually convinced Cody to read it. Or maybe he is just curious to know what I've been giggling at all this time. Who knows?!

So to all my dear friends, I would suggest this for a good read.- Then when your finished, would you mind calling me so we can discuss all the funny tidbits we didn't know about our husbands. Haha

Happy Fall Ya'll

And Boy do I mean it! This is my favorite time of the year-and for many reasons. Not only is the temperature much cooler and a whole lot more bearable, but the season is changing and so is the decor in my house and yard. Oh how I LOVE to buy Fall and Halloween decorations.. It's bad ya'll, I may need an intervention. My house is already decked out in pumpkins, gourds, leaves, signs, scarecrows, and cinnamon and pumpkin scentsy smells...

BUT one of my most favorite new additions to the Bunyard Home is the leaf-shaped candy dishes. Oh Yea. Bring on the Sweets. My favorite is the Hershey Pumpkin Spice Kisses. If you haven't tried these delectable candies, then you are totally missing out.

Trust me, It's NOT a candy. It is a tiny bite of Pumpkin Pie! Yummy!

Precious Pashby

Check out this sweet girl. She knows how to work that camera already.

I keep hoping she will take after her Aunt Jess and be full of sassiness!

Video of Pash sporting her sweet smiles. Please excuse my incessant cooing.

Sweet Salvation

Even on the hard days-and there seems to be more than few lately- I have to remember this. The bad days come to remind us to appreciate the good ones, but boy can they bring you down!! Luckily, there is quite a few sweet shops close by to help rejuvenate and remind me of the sweetness of life.
I would like to thank my wonderful husband for never judging the amount of trips I make to the cupcake and yogurt shops-at least not out loud... : ) Haha

FYI- If anyone is feeling blue and would like a sweet treat to perk you up, I'll be glad to join you.

I ♥ Mississippi

Hooray!! My favorite magazine has arrived! I love me some Mississippi magazine!! Oh and if you happen to pick up this months issue, you just might see MY name in it!!

Dog Days

A fellow blogger asked me to keep her posted on Jasper's happenings. Ha!!

Let's just say he has a pretty nice life. I'll make an effort to post more pictures of our furry friend.

Maroon Magnolias

With tailgating season approaching, I have been dreading the desperate search for cute maroon dresses. Since my dear sweet husband is a die hard MSU fan and alumni, I spend a good amount of time in Starkville this time of year. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy football season just as much as the next person, but I do NOT enjoy the frantic search for the perfect tailgate dress. And let me tell you, maroon dressed are not easy to find. And it's not only dresses that are MIA, but anything maroon in general. So this year, I decided put my sewing machine to the test and make two or three dresses myself. My size. My style. My sassiness.

Many stitches and yards of fabrics later, here is the finished product. I think they look pretty good, If I say so myself. Bring on the tailgating!