A Friday DIY!

Friiiiiiday! Heyyyyyy! 

I've been on a DIY hiatus lately but my hours of insomnia in the past few days have caused me to scour Pinterest like a mad woman (which naturally gives me a to-do list a mile long.)

My bedroom has been getting a few updates every now and then, piece by piece, until I finally am happy with what I see. I've been needing a focal piece above my bed, but I just couldn't decide on one specific one. Until I saw this project...

My DIY self just knew I had to attempt it. And that I did.

what you'll need:

One canvas (whatever size you want it to be--big, small, square, rectangle, etc)

Acrylic paint colors of your choice (I recommend at least 3)

Paint brushes

Tape (either painter's tape or black electrical tape)

Spray pain in the color of your choice

Some time!

first step:

Get your canvas out. Start painting. There is no rhyme or reason to how to do this part--just create a base pattern of the colors of your choice. I chose gray, turquoise, a lime color, and a light blue. If I do this again, I will probably add in a color of a totally different spectrum just to add a little pop.

next step:

Let it dry, of course. Then start taping. Again, this was just trial and error. I did no specific measuring, just eye-balled the spaces between the tape. I used about 5 inch strips--again, they weren't measured exactly. Start on one corner and work your way across the bottom of the canvas and then up. I started by working all the way up the side but it wasn't working right so I started over. I say, the more unique, the better. It's not perfect, but that's okay!

**don't forget to take off a few random strips to create the gaps!**

third step:

Cover the canvas with your spray paint. I used white...you could use gold, blue, whatever. Whatever your little heart desires. Cover it well...I did two coats just to make sure the white was a good solid color. 

(I didn't take a picture of this step...

figured you could picture a totally white canvas in your mind!)

last step:

Let it dry for a few minutes--don't let it dry all the way or some paint may chip off when you pull up the strips. Touch up as needed--I had to do a little fixing around the edges to make sure the white looked crisp!

And then you've got your masterpiece! A cheap, easy way to add some interest to your decor. I'm interested to do this again with different colors...maybe two or three small square canvases, too. The options are endless! And remember, perfection isn't ideal! The more imperfect, the better. I'm not a professional, so I don't expect my projects to turn out like a professional did it :)

And there ya have it.

Hope your weekends are off to a fabulous start, dears. Love love!

Happy Friday!

I'm All Over the Place

I'm sure you're saying, "what's new, Rach!?" I know. I'm always all over the place. I'm skipping my Blog Every Day in May Challenge. I'm linking up somewhere else.

For some reason unbeknownst to me, I haven't linked up with Holly's Finish-the-Sentence linkup yet. I must've been asleep or something, but I always seem to miss it. I'm gonna have to start sucking up to this Jake character some more, because I don't know him just yet. But that's all about to change, people. Gotta get on the inside of this bloggy relationship.

Unlike my siblings (who I love very much).... I didn't get the "pretty" or "athletic" genes. Skipped right over me, dang it. 

My best friend says... a lot of things that aren't Internet appropriate. And that's why I love her.

People call me... I usually just get "Hey nurse!" or I oftentimes get mistaken for my sister or my mother. I'm okay with people calling me Katie--I'm not okay with people thinking I'm a 45-year-old woman.

I most often dream... that I'm at work and IV pumps/fetal heart rate monitors are beeping. SO OBNOXIOUS.

The best part of my day... is when I punch the time clock knowing I won't be back for at least 24 hours. Halle-freakin-lujah! It's like the sun shines brighter as I walk out of the hospital. They need to create a bar for the night shift people--open at 8 am.

I really don't understand... why I haven't won the lottery yet? Also, why people give a sh*t about the Bachelor/Bachelorette anymore. Overrrr it.

I get really annoyed... when the employees at the Walmart Tire and Lube (I mean can they not use a different name?) lose my freaking keys for a good 45 minutes. Yeah, that just happened. Great way to start out my day!

There's nothing like a... a cold beer on a patio.

Lately, I can't get enough... wine. Come to mama.

One thing I am NOT is... OCD. The more chaos the better. I work well in a mess.

I spent too much money on... juicy gossip magazines that all say the same story over and over. Yeah, we know Kim K resembles Shamu currently. We know.

I want to learn.... how to play the piano. Something more than Mary Had a Little Lamb.

If I ever met Celine Dion, I would... die from happiness. No, my heart wouldn't go on.

I can't stop... thinking about eating a whole Lucky Charms. Have I become a 6 year old fat kid again?

Never have I ever... seen Sixteen Candles. Go ahead and shun me.

Reese Witherspoon... is entertaining. As long as she doesn't shave her head, start bashing in cars with umbrellas, or start tweeting like a psycho, (aka Amanda Bynes-style), I still like her. She's hot, Southern, and awesome.

Whew, what a way to start out my day. 
Happy Thursday, people.

Wednesday Fun For All!

Hey pretties! Wednesday already? This week is flying by. My schedule has been quite different at work this week, so I've gotten little sleep, but I'm here and ready to chat. 

I've got a little something fun just for you along with the Blog Every Day in May topic today! 

Today's prompt was easy. A piece of advice I have for others.

This is something that took me a long time to grasp. Love yourself. Simple as that. Don't be so hard on yourself. I spent too many years criticizing myself and being my own worst enemy--it took losing 80 lbs to realize that a number on the scale or a pant size doesn't define who I AM. 

You are beautiful. Stop putting your worth in what others think. Or what size pants you wear. Or how your hair looks that day. Love yourself. Be your own best friend, because only then will you find true contentment with who you are.

And now I'll hop down off my soap box and end this post with some FUN for you!

It's GIVEAWAY TIME! 

Today may feel like any other day, but it's not.

I am getting together with some wonderful other ladies to give you over $300! ($320 to be exact!) Summer is just around the corner and you need to have the best summer ever. And hopefully this will start you on your way!

My suggestion? Goodness...where to begin? Get yourself a mani/pedi and a pretty new outfit for a night on the town! Splurge on a fancy dinner. Go to a concert, make a road trip to one of your favorite places, and get yourself a new bikini!! The options are endless with some fun summer cash :)

Get you somethin' nice, ya hear?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now if that's not a great start to Wednesday, I don't know what is.

Happy day to you all, lovelies! 

Fears.

These prompts are really getting me thinking, which is a good thing, I guess. Otherwise I would've probably skipped the past week of blogging out of busyness. 

I hope y'all aren't getting bored with these already--I feel like you'll get a better glimpse into who I really am and not just what I do on the weekends and all the weddings I'm in, so hang on tight and just bear with me! 

Today is all about our fears. The thing(s) you're most afraid of.

I'm weird and I'm not afraid of death, snakes, or spiders. But I definitely have fears.

Well, some superficial things--I am deathly afraid of tornadoes. The sound of a tornado siren will put me into a panic quicker than almost anything else. I keep bottles of wine in my house just for situations like that. I really think it comes down to the fact of me being completely control-less. I have no control over that situation, and I don't like it. 

I'm sure most people will agree with this one...the fear of losing a loved one. I live my life day to day without ever thinking about that until something tragic hits me or someone close to me, and then it takes over my mind. I pray daily for God to have His hand on my loved ones and to protect them in their day to day...for Him to have His angels around them, because a loss like that is my greatest, inevitable fear. 

Another big one with me lately is the fear of being too comfortable where I am. The fear on missing out on the life God has for me because I choose (whether consciously or subconsciously) not to listen. I know that He ultimately has a plan and every choice I make is in His hands, but I'm a human and I worry. I just have to trust in His plan and not my own.

Well goodness...I didn't mean to get all serious. But there ya have it, people. 

Happy Tuesday!

What My Job Means

Day 6 of Blog Every Day in May

I skipped yesterday, partially on purpose. I don't like posting on a Sunday unless absolutely necessary, and I didn't have my computer with me. So I'll just give myself a pass on that one...I spent the day relaxing, so it was all worthwhile.

"If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question 'what do you do?'"

I'm a caregiver. I'm the person that is there when your loved one is in their darkest hour. I'm the one that is there to help welcome a brand new life into this world. I'm a shoulder to cry on, a hand to squeeze when the contractions get too intense, and an advocate for my patients' needs at all times. I'm the one who sits at the bedside and listens to worries and concerns to make a patient feel safer and more at home. 

My job is thrilling at times, rarely boring, and always steady. There is never a dull moment. I often work through my lunch or bathroom breaks to make sure my patient is fully satisfied and taken care of. I work long hours and weird schedules. I rarely get a full night's rest. I sleep during the day, when the rest of the world is out and about. I live in scrubs and am constantly listening to a baby's heart rate. 

I love being a part of a family's happiest day when a baby is born. I try my absolute best to make sure mama and baby are happy and healthy. I'm a hug, a prayer, and an encouraging voice when things look grim or when the worst happens. I'm the one who wakes doctors up in the middle of the night to ensure a safe delivery (or get that extra pain medicine!). I often to things I don't enjoy doing with a smile on my face. 

I think it's the best job in the world. I wouldn't change it for anything, as tired as I am on a regular basis and as hard as we work day after day. It's the most rewarding job there is (at least until I have a baby of my own:) ) and I am blessed to be a part of the greatest day in my patients' lives. I love creating a bond with my moms and loving on their babies after they are born. It's what God created me to do. It's such a blessing. 

Words to Live By

Day 4 of the Blog Every Day in May Challenge brings about a favorite quote...I've spent more time trying to pick one than I want to admit. I didn't realize how many quotes I loved...how many words were so important and meaningful to me. 

I'm gonna pull a quote out that I've used here on the blog before...but the words are so profound that it's totally necessary to post more than once. It's the kind of quote that catches me on another phrase that I didn't notice before--something else jumps out at me and shakes my thoughts. Donald Miller is awesome.

"Truth is, there are a million steps, and we don't even know what the steps are, and           worse, at any given moment we may not be willing or even able to take them; and still worse, they are different for you and me and are always changing. I have come to believe that the sooner we find this truth beautiful, the sooner we will fall in love with the God who keeps shaking things up, keeps changing the path, keeps rocking the boat to test our faith in Him, teaching us not to rely on easy answers, bullet points, magic mantras, or genies in lamps, but rather His Guidance, His existence, His mercy and His love.

Personally, I was miserable before I understood these ideas, but now I am so happy that I laugh all the time, even in my sleep."

-quote from Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller



Whoa. Oh, dear Lord, please keep changing my paths. Keep on "shaking things up" so I learn to cling more to you. What a quote!

Happy Saturday, y'all. 

 

Things That Make Me Uncomfortable.

This topic itself makes me uncomfortable, let's be real. I've been a bit stumped on this one...not many things make me THAT uncomfortable. But, I know we ALL have our things...it's just taking me a little while to figure mine out.

Things that make me uncomfortable: 

1) My biggest one is definitely confrontation. Definitely. I would rather sweep issues under the rug or just hug it out than have any kind of fight--even if I'm not the one in the wrong. It still just catches me off guard and makes me 8 shades of uncomfortable. I always just get flabbergasted and nothing ever comes out like the way I mean for it to. Why can't we all just live in harmony, people? I'd be a lot more comfortable in this world.

2) PDA. Now don't get me wrong, I like a good smooch from my honey just as much as the next girl, but my gosh. There is a time and a place (the BEDROOM) for anything more than a peck. Keep those hands to yourself, people.

3) Next would be phone calls...I do just about anything to avoid talking on the phone. Sure, sometimes you HAVE to talk to someone, but really, a text works just as well. If you call me, you'll most likely get my voicemail. And then I won't call back. I'm not sure why I hate it so much, because I could talk to a wall--I'm not a shy person, but when I'm on the phone, I get all awkward and tongue tied. Hate it. Text me.

My uncomfortable face...more like awkward. Whatevs.

4) Walking into a large group of people...standing up in front of a bunch of people. Talking in front of a bunch of people. So really, just a big crowd, I guess. I'm always afraid I'm going to have something in my teeth, sweat stains somewhere awkward (I'm a big sweater...I sweat like a man), toilet paper on my shoe, etc...I hate being the center of attention. I don't like when all eyes are on me, because I just assume people are judging me. Blech. 

5) Twitter fighting. Or FaceBook fighting. Come on, people. We're adults. And the worst part? The bully girls on Twitter don't even KNOW these people they're fighting with. There is nothing worse than awkward Twitter responses that are just asking for an argument. Say no to fighting, girls. Let's just hug it out, shall we? A great big Twitter hug.

Whew, that was hard to write. I guess more things make me uncomfortable than I thought! Oh, and I can't believe I'm writing a post this late on a Friday afternoon...who am I!?

Happy weekend, people. Let's see if I'll actually blog this weekend!