Wilson Living Blogs

Pinterest has created a lot of arrogance by making us think turning an old door into a headboard for the guest room or turning empty wine bottles into tea glasses is an easy task. Over the years, I’ve tried my hand at many things. Sometimes with success-hello boeuf bourguignon and other times, not so much-at home hair highlight. Because we all seem to be in a hurry when it comes to…EVERYTHING, I’ve compiled a list of things you shouldn’t waste your time trying at home! And please trust me on this, I’ve done the leg work. So here it goes:

1.     Self-tanner. Unless you like to walk around looking like Lindsay Lohan, visit a spray tan booth. And not the machine operated kind. I tried this once and the noise was so loud I couldn’t hear the prompts to turn around. Needless to say I wound up looking like an extra in a revival of The Wizard of Oz.

2.     Bikini wax (or any wax!)- This will be short and sweet. Do yourself a favor and invest in a razor, tweezers or get a laser treatment (Although, I’ve heard that is equally painful!). If you insist on it, bring a pillow to scream into and plan on drinking heavily after.

3.     Duck en croute. If you aren’t Julia Child or seasoned chef, stick with an easier duck recipe. I was determined to make this one weekend and it took me 8 hours from start to finish. I didn’t even bone the duck. The realization that it was a mistake came when my husband who will eat anything, (Seriously, he’s eaten frog eggs) picked at the meat stuffing and commented on how the pastry shell made no sense. It would have been cheaper to pay someone to cook it for me.

4.     Divorce- I’ve not been through a divorce. But, I’ve heard it’s a bad idea from friends who have trusted their post marital future with a site found through the Google search engine. Unless you like living in your car and eating cat food, hire an attorney.

5.     Groom your pet- Just because you own a pair of clippers, doesn’t make you a groomer. I tried it once and my friendly little puppy wouldn’t look at me for 3 days. Don’t ever give an Australian shepherd “The Chihuahua.” It’s not a good look.

6.     Painting- The only time I ever seriously considered number four. That being said, it’s cheaper and less stressful to wait until you can afford to pay someone to paint for you. This also goes for trying to imitate a painting you’ve seen. I wish I had a dime for every time someone within ear shot has said, “I bet I could make that!”

7.     Repurposing ANYTHING but especially furniture-I know the fools on Pinterest make it look easy. That’s because to them, it probably is. I have two ways you can repurpose that old dresser. 1. Give it away before you spend $400 on supplies OR 2. Call my friend Mandy Pryor and pay her to do it. She knows what she’s doing and actually enjoys it.

8.     Make any Disney or Nickelodeon themed birthday cake. Buying a cake pan in the shape of Buzz Lightyear doesn’t make you Duff Goldman any more than buying a pair of skinny jeans makes you skinny.

So before you pick up that pallet of ceramic tile because it’s on clearance, it’s important that you slam your hand in a door and drop a cast iron skillet on your foot. If after all of this you still think retiling the spare bathroom is the perfect weekend job for you and your husband, call me and I’ll give you the name and number of the perfect divorce attorney.

Want to add to this list? Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Check out all of Becky and Angel’s blogs on www.tellingtalesblog.com

Are you a pinner?  Yep, me too.  But I was pinning before pinning was cool.  I’m what you might call and “old school” pinner.  I’ve been pinning ideas for years, just the old fashioned way on a real bulletin board with real pins.

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I have been thinking of how my mother helped us have no Fear of Fashion!  What were her influences?  How has she helped mold us into the women that we are today?

 (mom, sissi and dad)

  I always remember mom telling us to ‘dress for success’.  Style is personal but you should always dress so that no matter whom you see, meet or have a conversation with, you will never, ever, worry ‘did I have my best foot forward’ (metaphorically speaking that is).

 She managed to showed us many wonderful traits that I still use today (yes mom, we listened!).  For example, she always helped us understand how to extend our wardrobe buy incorporating basic items with trendy fashions.  Basics such as the little black dress (LBD), those high waisted black trousers (was it you that gave me my addiction to black clothing?) or the crisp white blouse are needed and can be worn from season to season. 

Mom was always there to help us put together the right outfit no matter where we were going.  It did not matter if we were young women going out into the world for our first academic banquet or our first job interview, mom was there guiding us every step of the way.  As a matter of fact, she is still there today telling us (guiding us) with suggestions to keep us looking our best.  She is the voice in our head.

 Not only did she effect positive change in what we wore (now that I am much older I can say positive change), she did a lot of what we like to call the ‘behind the scenes’ of fashion.  How a great seamstress makes all the difference in the world.  I don’t know about you but I have to alter most all trousers (length or waist).  Jackets and blouses…not all sizes fit all women.  What a difference a seamstress makes!  How to hang your clothes, why to hang your clothes and how the correct hanger can play such an important role in the longevity of your clothing.  Why certain laundry detergents are better than others, why to hang vs lay flat and (here is the big one) why the dryer is not your friend! 

 Did you think that cleaning up your closet was only because mom didn’t want the mess?  So much of it was to help with the longevity of your clothing and teaching responsibility and respect.  Mom does really know best…

Don’t forget to thank your mom not only this holiday but remember that she is important in your life and thank her often.  My sissi and I are fortunate enough to have our mom close and to be a big part of our lives.  We get to hear her sage advise often (yes, sometimes it is more often than we want but that is our mom!)  Thanks mom for all that you have done to help us be the women we are today!  Not only do we have no Fear of Fashion, we are women with our own style!

Signature Wedding Cocktails and Such

By Brooke Porter

Reading through the Wilson Living Bridal Edition I became inspired. I began thinking of the great weddings I had attended in the past.  The food, the music, the dress and the venue were all crucial. Then there are the libations.

Everywhere I turn, there is a scarf—The Must Have Accessory for 2013!  Scarves have been a part of my wardrobe for as long as I can remember but I hear women say all too often “my friend looks great in her scarf or she can wear that, she has style”.

By Angel Kane       

Wilson Living Magazine

People often ask Becky and I how we met. Like many other women, we bonded over “motherhood” when our children attended the same Preschool. Through the years, we‘ve been there as our babies have grown into teenagers and along the way, laughed until it hurt and cried until there were no more tears, always thankful, that there was another Mom out there experiencing the same adventure.

In honor of all Mothers this upcoming Mother’s Day - we bring you an Ode To Motherhood.

May flowers have followed April showers. And we long for warm sunny, weather to follow the relentless rain. Then it will be time to sip wine on the patio, at the pool, on the back porch or on the lake. Often we think of hot weather and we think of drinking white wine.

Blessings

Thank You Sweet Jesus for giving me, not one, but two, teenage daughters at the same time. For were it not for them, I:

1. Would not to know that Facebook is now for old people, and that anyone older than 22 is forbidden from being on Instagram.

Except for Ms. Jamie, and “that’s just weird, Mom.”

2. Would have never guessed that listening to 80’s music is so incredibly painful to the teenage ear that earbuds must be worn at all times while in my car to drown out the likes of Journey and Billy Joel.

“Who are those people? They sound old.”

3. Would probably still be trying to hook up my new Apple computer and would have NEVER figured out that the keyboard and mouse don’t need to be hooked up to anything because of this wonderful thing called Bluetooth!

For that one and for their iPad, iPhone and iAnything capabilities, I do thank    you, sweet baby Jesus!

4. Would still be wearing white Keds.

“Why are you wearing those, you are not a nurse.”

5. Would still be able to find my shoes, jewelry, scarves, jackets, sweater, make-up,  perfume, brushes, hair bands, curling iron, blow-dryer, shampoo, conditioner and razor.

Madison-Zoeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! It’s just become one word.

6. Would have never had to sit through a Miley Cyrus or Taylor Swift concert.

And for that one, Jesus, I may never forgive you.

7. Would get to eat an entire plate of anything, without someone trying to eat my food, drink my drink, or steal my last piece of chocolate hidden away in the depths of my secret drawer.

8. Would not get to be part of the uncomfortable three-some ensemble called a first date.

      That one, I’m going to have to go to confession for, Lord Jesus, because I know        

      You know what I was thinking when I had to partake of that fun fest.

9. Wouldn’t be one of the lucky few who get to spend their hard earned dollars in the likes of Forever 21, Altar’d State and Charming Charlies.

      “Please, just this one scarf, I’ll pay you back.” Really, how? You don’t have a             

       job! No, cleaning your room is not a paying job.

10. Would miss out on hugs and heartaches, tears and triumphs, late night jokes and giggles and all those moments that will one day be the only moments that matter!

But honestly, Jesus, Taylor Swift? There had to be another way to prove you are a    miracle worker.

Walking through Kroger today I noticed an Almay makeup display. The sign featured Hollywood’s beloved Mother-Daughter duo Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson, who is the company’s current spokesperson. The advertisement reminded ladies to remember their own moms this Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 12).

“All the best makeup secrets come from my mom,” Kate was quoted.

If my mom and I had a makeup campaign, my quote would be: “All the best advice comes from my mom.”

Whether it is beauty advice, boyfriend advice, style advice, etc. – my mom has the answers to just about everything.

I do not know how she does it, but mom is an expert at smoothing over any situation. I could be at the point of hysteria and in about 30 seconds my mom can calm me down and make me see the light.

She says that this wisdom is partly due to the fact that she isn’t 24 anymore, like I am, and has gained experience “just by living.”

Once when I was in Kindergarten I swear my mom read my mind. It was one of those bad, stormy, tornado-watching days in Middle Tennessee and my class at Tulip Grove Elementary in Hermitage had been practicing our “tornado drill.”

For a little kid, the tornado drill is almost as scary as the real tornado. We didn’t know what was going on other than the fact that the lights were off, the thunder was roaring and we kept receiving these emergency instructions. I remember being at my desk and just wishing as hard as I could that my mother was there.

Lo and behold, not 20 minutes later there was a knock on our classroom door – and it was my sweet mama. This was quite a few years ago when school security was not as tight and parents could stop by for a visit in the middle of the day.

She didn’t stay long, just wanted to make sure that I was okay since she knew how scared I was of storms.

She has always been there for me – cheering me on in school plays, in the bleachers at every football and basketball game I cheered at in middle school and high school, teaching me how to accessorize and match my shoes with my purse, sacrificing things for herself so that I could have the perfect prom dress, homecoming dress, Abercrombie jeans, limo ride on my seventh birthday or a brand new Mustang when I graduated from high school.

And yes, she also taught me about makeup. How to contour my cheeks, which eyeliner will last through a night of dancing, and the mantra that Miranda Lambert has now made famous: “Go and fix your makeup, girl. It’s just a breakup!”

“Because,” mom says, “When you look good you feel better. You never let them see you sweat.”

I hope that one day in the future I will get married to a wonderful man and have a baby girl of my own to share all these life lessons with. Of course at that point my mom will probably have to move in with us because I won’t have a clue what I am doing – and like I said, she has the answers. (Ha Ha)

This blog is dedicated to my mother, #1 fan, stylist, therapist and best friend, Pamela Garrett – and all the other incredible mothers out there who have gone above and beyond for their babies. Mothers are truly angels on earth!

Just a couple of miles across Hwy 109 is one of my all time favorite places to visit.

My husband has a slew of what is known as Hippisms, which are short little phrases that capture the essence of something. One of my favorites is his “The Six Ps: Proper Planning Prevents Piss-Poor Performance,” and it’s something that I think all government officials and departments should post in their offices. 

Horse and hat enthusiasts, rejoice!

The Kentucky Derby kicks off this weekend – which means celebrities and other notables will be breaking out the mint juleps and heading to Churchill Downs in their most colorful spring attire.

“Fat” is such an ugly word. I hate it.

Anytime I hear someone call another person “fat” – I cringe over how cruel it sounds.

Sure, some people are really thin. Some people are overweight. And some people are in between.

Remember when we were kids and all you ever wanted was to be treated like a grown up? Grown-ups got to all the fun stuff; drive, go to bed when they wanted to, wear makeup, talk on the phone all night, eat cookies before dinner, date who they wanted, watch rated R movies, and they only talked to their parents when they wanted to. Adults could also curse anytime they wanted to.

Welcome to my new blog for Wilson Living Magazine. I call it Down Home Politics and it’s a companion to my regular column in the actual print magazine, but with a twist.

Making Travel with Children Fun- AND Educational!

“Snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night will always fill my heart with sweet clarity” 
― Novala Takemoto, Missin' (Novel)

Yes, I do know the weather has been unseasonably warm this month, thank you very much.  But I’m not done with winter yet.  In fact, I’m one of those weird people whose favorite seasons are fall and winter.  So in that “winter-y I’m still doing a snow dance” spirit, I want to share one of my favorite Pinterest inspired ideas I’ve made this season.  It’s a hot chocolate bar.  Now why didn’t I think of that? 

This now famous phrase Dr. Phil coined when he first began on television was what was going through my head as I looked at my little wallet that I use for gift cards and such.  The answer was- it’s NOT!

This is what I had:

Notice the rips at the seams…

which is the result of trying to cram too many cards into one sleeve. 

Now mind you, when I started using this as my way of keeping up with gift cards and such, it was before children and before every store in the world started offering a reward card.  Now I have so many that when I do remember to use them, I can’t find them, or worse- they have expired or I have lost my points, etc.  It was time for a change.

I decided to take my own advice and implement one of the tips I posted on my Facebook page months ago.

All you need is a simple coupon binder- $1 at our local dollar store.

Separate your store cards, refunds, coupons, gift cards, etc. by category however you’d like.  Label your sections and wa-la!  A perfectly organized place for cards and coupons of all sorts- with room to expand!

Now you can get really crafty and make colorful labels and such, but I haven’t gotten that far yet.  But this simple fix took me all of 15 minutes, and I have everything in one place.  Also, the very last tab I made for receipts, which will come in extremely handy this time of year!

Happy shopping and Merry Christmas!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and visit our web site at:

www.superior-construction-and-design.com

“Delicious  autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”
-George Eliot

"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. 

The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these."

~ Susan B. Anthony