BLOGGER MEN TELL ALL // Vol. 1

 

I'm so excited to be linking up for today's Blogger Men Tell All post.  I love my husband more than anything and I am always thankful that he supports my blogging time.  He has gotten used to my laptop being a obligatory part of our nights.  He even asks me if I'm okay if my blog doesn't show a new post in a few days. 

 

 

He is easily my biggest fan.  I thank God each and every day for bringing this man into my life.

 

 

So, for today's post it's all about him, the Mississippi Mr., answering in his own words.

 

1.  If you had a blog, what would the name be and what would you blog about?
DA MANS CAVE.... and it would be about the things I love to do.   Aka, a lot of talk about videogames/tools/football/etc.

 

2.  If you could live inside any videogame, which would it be?
If I had to "live" inside a video game, it would probably be some kind of sports or hunting game because those are the things I like to do when I can, even though my favorite is Call of Duty.   I do most of the killing there.

Wow, just wow.

 

3. Who is your best player on your fantasy football team this season?
Peyton Manning

 

4. If you could play for any professional sports team, which would it be?
St. Louis Cardinals

 

5. What do you typically do with an hour of free time?
That depends on when and where the time is.  I'm usually watching TV or playing Call of Duty, or sleeping, just like the rest of the guys in the world.

He's right.

Now, wasn't that fun? I love doing blogs that involve Brian.  He's my other half, so he needs to be more present around here.  I'm thinkingwe need to vlog, right ladies?

 

I wore..Maternity Shorts.

NO, I AM NOT PREGNANT.   I wore them because my other shorts were just plain too small.  Sometimes in blog land, bloggers tend to keep a dark shadow over the truth.  And then there's me.  I'm reality.  So, yes, I wore maternity shorts because I have gotten too fat for my regular shorts.  And it's time I do something about it.  

I've always been one of the bigger girls.  I wasn't fat by any means, but I was never, ever skinny.  I don't want to be "skinny" now.  I want to be healthy.  To accomplish this goal, I have to change some things in my life.  I need more exercise, less late night eating, and lots more will power to get all this done.

 

All my life, I've had something going on that helped keep the weight off, even up until last year when I was preparing for my wedding day.  But now, I'm past all that and into my 30's and I think nature is just settling in.  But that's not an excuse. 

 

I want to have children one day and be there for a long time for those children.  I want to be the wife that can actively be at her husband's side helping him instead of coming up with excuses and staying indoors in the air.

 

So, today, I'm changing.  In fact, by the time this posts I will have already gotten out of bed and exercised.  I've figured out that during the day/evening just isn't going to work for me.  I get really lazy once I'm home from work.  That only leaves mornings. 

 

Am I thrilled to start getting up early and walk/run? Heck no.  But my body will thank me.

 

 

So, ladies, cheer me on.  Pray for me.  Encourage me, if you will.  It's time for a life changing moment. 

Oh, hey Friday!

Top 5 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

 

o Anniversary pictures next week.  I can't believe that Brian and I have been married almost a year! Married life is even more special than I dreamed and prayed it would be for us.  I cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in all the coming years. 

 

 

o Cozy sweaters.  All during the summer, I've been cleaning out Kohl's clearance racks of sweaters.  They were all $5/each and I could not let a deal like that pass.  Now with the temps starting to cool down, I'm anxiously awaiting wearing them!

 

o Coffee.  Anyone who knows me a little, knows I adore a cup of coffee.  Going right along with those big comfortable sweaters is a great cup of coffee and a book.  Fall brings out so many new flavors to try in your coffee.  And don't kill me for this, but a Pumpkin Spice Latte is NOT on my order list.  I'm not a fan of pumpkin.  Sorry.

 

o Good Books sometimes get made into movies.  Earlier, I reviewed Gone Girl and loved it.  Coming to theaters on October 3 is the movie release.  Normally, a movie cannot light a fire to the book, but Ben Affleck is starring in this film.  That's a win, win for me!

 

I'm also going to participate in my sweet blog friend's #OperationReadYourShelves challenge.  Go visit Lauren's blog, 34 Magnolia Street, for more information.

 

 

 o Booties.  Lately, I've been eyeing some totally cute booties for the upcoming fall/winter.  I can't wait to finally wear the one's I've let slip into my shopping bag! ;)  Are you going to be wearing booties these year?! I would love to hear your opinion! I am thinking I will wear them with leggings, dresses, and skinny jeans. 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

 

   

Wednesday Word // Encouragement.



What has God taught you about encouraging others in the blog world / real world?
 



Whew! Can I start with that?!  First, let me address the "What has God taught you" portion of the sentence.  God has taught me SO many things, but and foremost God has taught me to trust Him in every situation.  Lately, I've found myself in the dark on so many decisions / events in life and I've left my full trust in His care.  And I feel wonderful.  I feel encouraged. 

 

 

So, what has He taught me about encouraging others?  It is vital.  It is as necessary as taking the next breath of life.  Without Him, we are dying and going to hell.  Living a good life doesn't give you that automatic pass into Heaven's gates.  We have to earn our keep and God is there pushing us the entire way.
 

o "It's scary."  You are dang right it's scary.  Don't you think God knows you are scared and shy to stand up for Him?  He is challenging you, friend.

 

 

o "I don't know what to say."  None of us do.  God will provide the words, you provide the source.

 

 

o "I don't know enough to tell anyone else."  Honestly, this is the one that gets me the most.  For a long time I feared that I didn't have all the answers for a lost soul.  And then God smacked me in the face and I realized I'll never have ALL the answers.  That's why he wants all His children to come to Him.  He is our safe-house. 

 

 

STOP making excuses.  Get out there and tell a friend / family member about God's love for you and I.  We are His children.  And I for one want all my loved ones with me one day when we are walking into those pearly gates. 

 

 

So, to answer the prompt, God has taught me to be ME.  He has taught me to stand up for what I believe in and not feel ashamed by it.  He has taught me that He is my Father and will be there for me and you in every situation in life.  He has taught me to pray, and pray hard, for our world and our brothers. 
 

God has taught me encouragement and He has shown me encouragement.

 

 

What has He taught you? 

I Am...

Boo! I'm traveling in blog-land today.  Come check over at Kelli's blog and see what I have to say... :)  

Fall Fashion List

Fall is approaching.  That means that it's time to dust off your boots and pull out your big slouchy sweaters!  My entire life I've been dedicated to Summer being my favorite season; however, the last few years have completely changed my mind.  Bring on Fall! 

With that said, that meas I get to wear my dark skinny jeans, riding boots, and large comfy sweaters and it's totally cute and acceptable!  Win, Win! 

With any good outfit in my book, that means pairing it with some type of leopard and one of my Michael Kors bags. 

What's on your Fashion Fall must have list?

Garage Sale Friday!

Hi, I'm Kayla, and as you read this I am currently probably digging in boxes looking for a good deal.  I'm cool like that.  Why? You ask... Well because today is...

COUNTRYWOOD YARD SALE!!!!!

This is what it looks like in there, seriously.

So, therefore, I'm in Memphis today and I'm finding steals (at least I hope I am!)  I'll be back next week, loves! 

PS. If you are going to be here too, look me up! Let's junk crawl together!

 

Today is....

...what I still like to call our anniversary.  

Happy "dating" anniversary, love!  The real one isn't far off now! 

Community Brew // Wednesday's Words

Gratitude
Wednesday is a special day around this blog.  I love getting to join in with other Godly women who want to talk about their love for God and the things happening in their lives.  Such a sweet day, indeed.

Colossians 2:6-7

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Psalms 136:1

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His loving kindness is everlasting.

There are so many things in my daily life that I am thankful for, and many things I need to take a minute and thank God for more often.  I'm guilty of not giving credit where it's due, and my day to day walk in this life is no different.  

The Lord continues to amaze me with His ways in my life. Brian and I, like every other couple, have faced hard times, but the Lord is always faithful to us.  He shows us that He is there even on our dark days.  Being a newlywed isn't always easy.  Finances are hard.  Figuring out how to merge a household is hard.  Adjusting to the new way of life is hard.  Every day there is another challenge in our path, but we both know that relying on God's promises that we are already taken care of and shouldn't fret.

With that being said, I like to let Brian know that I'm thankful for him.  He always (Jokingly) gets onto me for thanking him for little things. But I know in my heart it goes way beyond a simple gesture.  Brian is the man God made for me and every time a "little thing" is done for me, my heart is more at ease with life.  God gave me this wonderful man.

For that, I am full of gratitude.

How do you express gratitude?

               

Etsy // crushes

Sometimes I find myself wanting something "different" but cute for a great gift item, or maybe for myself.  This is where Etsy comes into play.  I looooove to browse the site and find things.  I admit, I have several wish lists and I'm always adding things to them.  

Since it's been awhile since I showed some off my latest crushes, I wanted to introduce you to some of the best items (to me!) on there today..

FourBugsInARug

I just love anything monogrammed, so these are great for a gift!  I know I'd love some... and just in case you need to know my monogram is kWn. :)  

FourBugsInARug

These are made by the same ship, but I adore anything with Mr. and Mrs. on them.  These would be a terrific wedding gift to a bride.  I have something similar on my bed and looooove it. 

ShopCarlysCustoms

This ring holder has been in my personal wish list for awhile.  I need a cute dish like this for my beloved rings when I'm showering.  I think this will be on my Christmas list this year for sure.

TinyBox12

I just love the simplicity of these rings.  I've always been a fan of stack rings and this ranks pretty high up there on my list too!

JoyFulPapery

This is a beautiful piece of artwork to display in your home.  Now, can someone teach me how to do calligraphy like this?  What are some of your Etsy crushes?  Follow along with me on there and we can like things together! 

All About Me // The Mississippi Mrs.

Hey friends, and new readers!  Today I wanted to do one of these little fun "getting to know" me posts.  It's always a good idea to give this for any new readers!  (Hey!!! Welcome!)  SO feel free to browse around and find out all about me. 

Name : Kayla

Age : 30

Location : Corinth, MS

Other Half : Brian

Working It : Banking

Loves of Life : Brian :) , chocolate,  my dogs, and reading. (And Pinterest.) 

Favorite Food : Italian or Mexican, any day. 

Standard Bar Order : Not a bar girl.

Places I Shop : Yard sales and online.  Duh. 

Beauty Products I Can't Live Without : Mascara and lip gloss. 

Bedtime and Wake-Up : Tucked in at 9, and up by 7:15

What I Blog About : I love to blog about my married life to Brian and whatever else floats my boat! 

 

Why I Blog : Blogging is my passion.  It is an outlet to life and been a great way to form some special friendships and connections.

Now, wasn't that fun?!  Before you run off, be sure and head over to my friend Paige's blog to catch me there! 

Campus Book Rentals // Review

College books are expensive.  People all over are upset about the prices they have to pay for textbooks.  But I have a way you can SAVE some of that money.  Allow me to introduce you to Campus Book Rentals. 

Some of the perks of using Campus Book Rentals include:

-save 40-90% off of bookstore prices

-free shipping both ways

-can highlight in the textbooks

-flexible renting periods

-donation to Operation Smile with each textbook rented

Operation Smile is working hard every day to save lives. They provide medical charity to children in low and middle income countries with cleft lip and cleft palate surgery. To find more valuable information, please check out their website.

Another aspect of Campus Book Rentals is the Rent Back program.  Rent Back is a new initiative that allows students to rent the textbooks they own to other students.  This allows them to make 2-4 times more money compared to what they'd make through buyback programs.

Do these children a favor, use Campus Book rentals and be part of the movement to help! 

9/11

Let us never forget. 

 

 

I, like most of you, will never forget this day.  I was a senior in high school and just walked into my senior English class when a fellow classmate was watching it live on the television.  Naturally, we all freaked out and the entire school sat in silence as we watched the second plane hit the second tower. 

 

Images are burned into my brain from that morning.  People jumping from buildings to save their lives.  Even at 18 years old, I knew my world was forever impacted by this moment.  And now 13 years later, and it still is something I think about daily. 

 

Today if you are the praying kind, then do that today.  Our country needs it.  Our country deserves it.

   

She's a Natural.

Hey friends! I hope you all had a fun-filled weekend.  Brian and I took a rather lazy approach and spent the weekend just relaxing.  However, we did get out of the house on Saturday and went a special little boy's birthday party!  One of my oldest friends, Meredith, had the cutest party set up for her little boy, Henry.
Now, I have to brag on Meredith here.  She is definitely a girl with creativity running through her veins.  I'm envious (and also thankful I know who to get to help with future parties!)
Let me show you what I mean... 

Forever Friends

I told ya'll, she's a natural!  Thanks for having us, Mert!  We love you!
  HAPPY BIRTHDAY HENRY!

We've Moved!

Happy Friday to my lovely readers!!  I'm excited to let you in on a new project on my plate.

I finally took the plunge and decided to make an Instagram account for the blog.  I have my personal one that I've been using for dual purposes, but I wanted to give the blog IG account a try and see if I like how that goes.  
So, be a doll, and go follow the new account at @Mississippi_mrs.  Please!