Giving some love to a new company!

I'm collaborating with a new business owner to get the word out about her store and why you should look into it. None of my opinions were paid for. She reached out for help and her story inspired me to write!

Her name is Megan. She is a K-12 Art Teacher that started this business with her mother. Together, they have created and launched Wild Magnolia about a month or so ago. Their styles are geared towards teen and adult women with a creative, Bohemian-type flair. If you want to read more of her story, check it out here.
There is quite the variety in the items they offer. Shirts, dresses, rompers, and pants are just the beginning. I've fallen in love with some of the jewelry pieces she has on there as well. Like these Gold Petite Drop Earring Aqua Chalcedony or this Tetris Necklace in Blue/Cyan.

Which is another thing, she makes a lot of the jewelry herself! Talk about being an accomplished lady. There are some small home accents to check out as well as some art.

If you are near Southern New Jersey or planning a trip there in April of 2018, be sure to look for her new store front! Shop in person and be sure to let her know you read about her on my blog. In the meantime, these items and these that are newest to her website. Check them out and then browse around the other things. What strikes your fancy most? Do you have any suggestions for her? 

I am a huge fan of women who start their own business, who can balance life and career with their dreams. I greatly hope to see this one aspire to the top of the totem pole in fashion!

And to make this post even sweeter, she has agreed to offer my readers a special discount! At checkout, use the code TEXASNERD25 to get 25% off your order! This deal will run through July 4th. Perfect time to grab some gear for the holiday fun! 

A follow up to a previous situation

I had written about starting up a Go Fund Me for hiring a lawyer and seeking full custody of my children. After reading a comment to that post, I have decided to follow up on what happened to that end. 

I started up the fundraiser and a dear friend of mine made a considerably large donation. The gratitude I felt was tremendous. I didn't even think I would get the amount she had donated, let alone more. Call it an empty hope created by desperation. I have learned, however, that God moves in mysterious ways. So after receiving that amount, I called up someone that I was given high recommendations to. This person was previously a lawyer and the best when it came to family cases. What I hoped for was a weight to be lifted from my shoulders. What was returned to me instead was a blow to my dreams. He is now a mediator who works to find middle ground for those in legal disputes. He also refers you to the best in the business depending on your needs. He explains the law and what options you have. My options are not just limited. They are singular. The state of Texas protects the accused in some ways, more than the victims. I should've known this. After all, I've been involved in a case where I interpreted for a friend whose illegal deaf wife tried to kill him in his sleep, with his children present and witnessing, and she not only got out of being deported (despite those who knew her pushing for that option), but she also got out of jail and was given primary custody of the kids. If that is possible, how much more so a guy keeping his rights when he does things morally wrong with or to his children? 
The legal advice I received knocked me down a peg and put me in the cloud cover of doubting my ability to be the Mom I need to be. I was told that the State would not easily give full custody to one parent over the other, if at all. They will exhaust other options, and funding, to keep both parents in the children's lives. Even fighting for supervised visits with the documentation I have would cost me in the neighborhood of $10,000. And that's just a start. Instead, I was told to document every instance in a journal. Make sure my kids tell me everything. Make sure they can reach me no matter what time or where while with him. And to pray that nothing bad happens. I have since filed an additional report with Child Protective Services. They began an investigation, but I was told that the situation fell into a slightly gray area. So they would reach out to my ex-husband and inform that certain actions are from here on, prohibited. Should anything happen again, they will look further into supervised visitation rights. As for the kids being left alone or unsupervised at the theme park, that isn't considered a bad thing that they will investigate until one of them is severely injured, kidnapped, or worse. So the training of them knowing exactly how to respond to strangers, dangerous situations, or being in a moment of feeling uncomfortable about something has taken on an urgent tone. We talk about it often. My daughter knows to yell to her brothers for assistance if her father refuses to listen to her. I choose to think that I have scared him enough with my words and actions that he will back away from ever making such choices again. 
The campaign I had started, was removed. The money I had received was returned to my donors. I am focusing on doing what I can to make them safe as much as possible. I also pray that God's will be done and that I have strength to accept what I cannot control. Its a hard way to live. Its a struggle that I have to endure. May it be known, however, that I will not seek a way into the loophole I have been made aware of. I will stay ready for the moment when I can finally have them safe and be done with him. I have expressed to them and to him, that they have the ability to call me any time for any reason. I send snacks and food as I'm able to ensure they are well fed. I also feed them before they leave and upon returning to me. 
I love them dearly. I may not have made all the right choices. I may still be learning from the decisions and outcomes I have been through, but I keep pushing forward. I will always do my best for them.

You got your license where?!

As I look at the calendar, I see that a week has passed that I have been married!

How does time pass so quickly without our knowing? It has been a crazy, but very happy week. I have officially sold my motorcycle. It was a sad event, but necessary. God gave me the ability to ride and enjoy it for a time, but He has now decided that I need to give it up. As I’m often reminded, I have 4 kids. I have to stick around to raise them right. And with everyone else being so stupid or reckless on the roads… So yeah.

That brings me to today’s blog post topic. I’m beginning to think that the sad joke about people around here getting their driver’s license from a Cracker Jacks box is actually true! Why, you ask? Because I can’t think of another way that so many idiots could possibly pass the DMV test! I’m starting to think that on their 16^th birthday, Mom and Dad gave them a Cracker Jacks box and the prize inside was a license to operate a motor vehicle in Texas.

The number of people I come across, doing ridiculous things on a daily basis is staggering. Do they not teach you that a turn signal is to let people know that you are turning? That it is also a way to signal that you are attempting to change lanes? And that once you have completed such an action, you are to turn it off?! How about parking? There are lines. And those lines signify a space for one vehicle. Unless you are driving a tank of a truck, a vehicle towing a trailer, or otherwise significantly sized vehicle, you should always be within the lines provided. And if you are afraid you won’t be able to finagle your wide load out the door with someone parked next to you, park in the back half of the lot! I should not come out to find your tire in my spot. I should not have to squeeze myself into 3 inches of a door opening because you needed to leave a foot of space for your driver side. And did you know why people call one lane the “fast” lane while the other is the “slow” lane? Because those of you wanting to do 5-20 MPH UNDER the speed limit are to stay to the right. While those of us doing the actual posted limit or higher, stick to the left. Otherwise, you back up traffic behind you. And don’t you DARE jump into the fast lane when you were previously only doing 20 going up the entrance ramp to the highway in your 10-15 year old clunker. You know, and I know, that your car cannot get up to speed fast enough to handle being in front of me when I was doing 70 for the past how many miles?! So instead, I am forced to hit the brakes and get down to 40 in a hurry. Along with 4 cars behind me. Then you look behind you with half-closed eyes and smile. Don’t drive when you are high, you idiot! You can’t focus and everything slows down, in your reality. Not for the rest of us.

This is why I think people here get their license from somewhere other than a Department of Motor Vehicles. Or as the Texans say, Department of Public Safety. Doesn’t seem to promote much in the ways of safety. I mean, lets face it. They gave my deaf and partially blind ex-husband a license. He has Ushers Syndrome. A degenerative disease that causes full blindness. They told him to get glasses and he would pass. Didn’t check for peripheral or verify that he has night vision (which he has neither). But he has a license. And has wrecked so many cars it scares me.

It would seem this is another failed system. Another way the world is dangerous. Be safe out there! Definitely look twice for my fellow bikers. They are there.

Mr. and Mrs. We now are!

Our wedding went off splendidly. There were occasional hiccups, but they are the kind we can laugh at during and after the fact. Granted, I learned a thing or two. Like test the playlist BEFORE you are preparing to make your walk down the aisle…. But hey! We have something funny to reminisce about later.

The people who came, helped add to the memories that will last a lifetime. And as I go over some of the wedding pictures, I can’t help but smile as I realize that we did it.

I married the love of my life. And we are now moving forward to the next step in our lives. We are now able to make solid plans. To embark on the adventure that will last until the day we die. Nothing is better than that!

So a few things I want to share as advice for other brides. Always check the music before the day of your wedding. I made the mistake of updating the playlist the night before. I had added a second playlist that included the “special” songs. Entry, bridal march, first dance, father/daughter dance, etc. These were separate from the dance floor shuffle list. I wanted to make it easier for those who had to control those moments in the reception. Also, the venue didn’t have a firm handle of their audio equipment. So when it came to turning off the song or switching the song, there was a pause or the volume was way too high. There were also sounds of pulling the AUX cord out or plugging in. Not a pleasant way to flow. We had a good laugh though.

 

Keep it simple. If you are setting up the day of your wedding, do yourself a favor and make sure it is as simple as possible. You want more time to get ready than it takes to put everything out. I made chocolates to set out for the guests. Guess who forgot them in the fridge of our room? Talk about a waste of time, energy, and money.

Don't forget the little things. We forgot pens for the centerpieces and the guest book. We also had to send the guys out for bobby pins and the plastic dishes for left over food.

No matter how well you plan everything out, be prepared to miss something. There were a couple pictures I might have missed. I didn't get to dance much besides the First Dance and Father/Daughter Dance. I did dance with my younger brother who asked me to show him how to slow dance. That was a great moment that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Otherwise, I was too busy talking, taking pictures or dealing with baby. I didn't set aside a moment to dance again with my husband. Although in retrospect, that might have been a blessing to our guests. We are both "White and Nerdy" after all. Dancing is something we enjoy doing behind closed doors, but might look awkward in front of others.  

And lastly, remember that it is your day. No matter what another person says or does. This is the day to focus on the love you have for someone else. I almost lost sight of that the night before the wedding. My best friend, my Mother, and my fiancé all brought that back into perspective for me. Our day was what we wanted it to be.  

I'm ready to go for a drive!

I could totally go on a long road trip with no particular destination in mind. Wedding plans are driving me up the wall about now....
But let's check into reality now! I was sent something from Chatterbox (a division of House Party) to try out and talk about. I love being a part of Chatterbox! I get some pretty cool stuff every once in a while. This time it was a Kleenex go-anywhere pack.

As a mom, having tissues on hand everywhere I go is a must. Between random colds, allergies or when the waterworks start because someone isn't happy, I often have to reach for a tissue fast. Sadly, I  was always having to carry a box of them around. I have a mini van.

That box tended to roll from front to under seats, and sometimes went to the back. It was always a hassle trying to find it.
Enter the go-anywhere pack. It has 30 3-play tissues in it. They are also ultra soft. There are a couple things I love about these. They have a snap strap that can clip anywhere. Around the headrest rod is where I have mine.

They dispense easily from the pack. Just one hand gets what I needed. And finally, it protects my tissues. Keeps them from getting wet or dirty. Not like something dripping or falling into the box. They are slim, so they stay out of the way. 
Now I'm ready for anything the kiddos bring my way. What about you? Summer time is here. Time for those long trips and drives.Walmart has them here. Amazon has them in stock here.

How many days are left?!

Not enough! I'm cracking down to make sure I have each detail just right and complete. I think we did really well with the pillars and flowers.

We had the inspiration from my fiancés grandmother and mothers favorite flowers. So we knew we wanted to try for white roses and, if possible, blue carnations. I saw these at Wal-Mart once and wished I could've found them in fake flowers.

But we went with others to try to match it as best as possible. In the end, it came to be something beautiful and just as well.

I've also been working on the chocolates needed and trying my best to get them just right. 

In the midst of everything, I took Memorial Day to enjoy my family. It is so easy to get caught up in the craziness of planning and details. Especially when you are feeling like it is more of a chore than a joy. I took a step back to connect with my kiddos.

We talked about what Memorial Day is for. Why we celebrate it. My darling husband-to-be even grilled dinner.

We topped off the night with s'mores!

We made our funny faces, told goofy jokes, and added to the happy memories that will go on for the rest of our lives. I needed to remind myself that there is more than just working towards this Saturday. We have a life going on in between.

My final week of being engaged!

Less than 7 days left until the wedding. My dashing fiancé is decked out to be Captain Terrell. He will not be shaving his head as he fears it will not grow back. So a slight modification to Picard. But isn't that what great cosplayers do?

I'm excited to announce that mine is also complete!

And I feel ready to walk that aisle in it. Denise did a beautiful job. She put in so much hard work to create my dream dress. I know she had her hesitations about her ability to get it just right. But as the saying goes, we are our own worst critic. She hand sewed some of it, and got it perfected to fit me just right despite my flat-chested problems. You see, patterns don't account for lack of boobs.

A woman who wears a large should have ample chest. Wrong! So she had quite the time adjusting the dress repeatedly to lay right up top. I'm feeling so loved and fortunate to have had her making such a stunning dress for me.

My daughter has her dress embellished as well thanks to her Granna's design assistance. My boys are going to be storm troopers and my baby will be in her Trekkie dress.

I also completed the flower arrangements that will rest on the pillars my fiancé made.

Today, we worked on getting them painted. Tomorrow I have to do the final coat.

They look like the Twin Towers right now...

The vases were interesting. Who knew that painting glass bowl vases was such a difficult task?!

My dad texted me too. I can’t tell you how much I look forward to seeing him and the family. I do miss them, being so far away.

And thanks to my best friend, Gwen, I have amazing and unique gifts for the mothers and bridesmaids! She went out of her way to make it special.

Next week, I’ll begin the process of making the chocolates for the cake decorations and favors. We picked up some cute bags that will placed at some of the seats.

And lastly, I have to create my bouquet. Its going to be attached to a light saber hilt... if all goes well!

Time is picking up momentum. Soon, we will be standing at the alter leading to a great, adventurous future. I’m excited!