Oh Sh!t

So, it has definitely been quite sometime since I have posted or written ANYTHING!! I have been passively working on Instagram. Taking notes, pointers, tips and rick, and whatever else I can eat up from some bad ass people. Something that has been buzzing lately is the word “influencer.” For quite a while actually, I wanted to be an influencer. I had a vague idea of what that meant and only a mild understanding of what that looked like on the surface. THEN BOOM!! That is not it at all! The fortune is in the engagement! Genuine, intentional, and consistent engagement! Earlier when I said that I was passively working on Instagram alone, I mean dipping my toes in and applying just a few things that I have learned. IT WORKS!! Who knew? I don’t know why I was surprised, but I definitely was. I am committing to being less passive and way more intentional and consistent! Consistency is key! I have a lot of work to do with my own social media. My main thing right now is instagram. I have secured a few other platforms for PersnickeyZebra with a couple more to go. It is definitely involved. I have some cleaning up to do also from when my scope and motive were way off. I will get there and I am ready to do the work. But how did I get here?

Okay so let me back track a little. Over the last several months, I have been getting hints, seeing signs, feeling a nudge or a push, or whatever you want to call it, that I am supposed to be doing something else. I am supposed to be doing something more. I mean we all are right? So, I’m like, “Hey self! What do you love? What gets you excited? If you could wake up every day and always be super stoked about what you were going to do that day, what would it be?” I. LOVE. STYLE! I also love retail; I know crazy right?, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE PEOPLE!!!! I love reinventing myself when I want to try something different with my wardrobe or my style! It’s also super exciting to help someone else do the same thing. I also have a small obsession with social media and honestly how powerful it is. In the last 5 years even, so much has changed. So, I don’t remember the exact moment or what gave me my “lightbulb” moment. A handful of concepts started swirling around in this head of mine: fashion, style, social media, marketing, and working for my damn self. I got a really rough idea of what I want to do. Now it is figuring out how to get there. I know I wan to get back into retail full time at my first love <3. School, I need to go back to school! Another lightbulb!! Fashion? Become a stylist? How do I incorporate social media? Marketing? MARKETING? Style, marketing, social media? SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING!!! As Homer would say, “DOH!” Huge lightbulb! Oh SH!T!! Your girl has and idea and a plan and I could not be more excited! Again, lots of work to do. Still not certain, rough draft and all, but I have a direction and I feel really good about it! Can’ wait to share more as all of whatever this is unfolds!

Thank You Mr. Davis

I’m not one of those people who broadcast every second of every day on social media. I don’t feel the need to brag about my amazing husband of  just over 5 years or kick-a$$ kids every day. However, This is going to be one of the few times I gush.

As I have shared, I have a husband named Aaron and he is 14 years my senior! “Oh Mylanta!!!” You say? No, not really. He doesn’t look or act like he’s “LEVEL 48” haha. In fact here…

He’s a sexy, ginger-bearded,very distinguished gentleman who has an old school love for Adidas sneakers, music, our kids, and ME!! DUH! Our life is interesting to say the least l! We are a blended family of six and there is always something going on. Usually church, soccer, basketball, horseback riding, or baseball. I am probably missing something in there. All of that on top of working 50+ hours a week, he takes on quite a bit. Having been at his company for over 20 years, his responsibilities at work but has gotten very good at leaving the mess and stress of it at work. There was a time when that wasn’t quite the case. Thank the Lord things have changed.

He loves different and I love the way he loves. To give you a good example, his proposal was pretty unique. We had just finished watching Terminator, the latest one I think,and I get up to use the bathroom. I come out and he’s standing in the living room, gives me a hug, and stops and says , “you know I’m not really romantic but I love you very much.” The rest was a bit of a blur but he proposed right in the living room and here we are. Definitely learning a lot about doing life together, compromise, sharing fears and concerns, and showing love. Being married is amazing, hard, scary (I shook the entire way down the aisle), rewarding, and beautiful. So, I wanted to post an open love letter to my husband. I write better than I can speak sometimes and the latter is a work I progress.

“Mr. Davis ❤️   I love you more than you could ever know or I could ever say. You make my heart full and happy. I love you for so many reasons I don’t think I will ever be able to get them all down. So instead I want to say thank you. Thank you for putting up with me; moody, emotional, stubborn, messy, goofy, crazy, impatient me. Thank you for helping me keep my foot down when I need to with the kids or lighten up when I need to. Thank you for support and encouragement as I looked for my heart in my work. Thank you for working so hard. Thank you for making me smile when I really don’t want to sometimes. Thank you for offering a different perspective even when I don’t want to hear it or see it. Thank you for taking us all on. Yes I said that. Thank you for immediately loving my kids as your own. I think that’s my favorite thing.  Thank you for showing me real love; your kind. Thank you for your goofy, interesting, out of the box way you love me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

P.S. I like your beard😏 ”

I am so glad he’s mine. His latest was that he wrote “I am Groot” with a heart and an arrow through it on our whiteboard in the kitchen!

I love you too Mr. Davis!

Passion Journey almost 30

I am blessed beyond measure. I have “grown up” a lot in the last 5 years to say the least. Life is funny the way it makes you grown up or do things you never thought you would or could. Not just life but God. He definitely knows when I need to grow. Something I think about a lot that my pastor says is we have to, “Grow up, before we go up!”

This is all coming from my mind reeling after completing, for the second time, the Life Development plan for leaders at my church. It asks questions about what you want to accomplish in the next 12 months: Spiritually, relationally, physically, financially, and educationally. I read and re-read the questions and prompts for ideas of what to set my goals for and the idea is to make them profitable, reasonable, measurable, and to make sure I can be held accountable. What better way to gain some accountability than to share my plans for the next year?

I titled this post “Passion Journey, almost 30” because I am learning more and more about myself and where my heart, or passion is and I think that is going to play a lot into my plan for the next 12 months. I have some serious health and fitness goals because I want to feel good and look good at 30! I would like to train and run a half marathon! How awesome would that be? Relationally I want to be more on purpose in my relationships with people if that makes sense. Financially there is some debt that needs to disappear but definitely going to take some work; no magic for that! Spiritually my relationship with God is more like an “app not an OS” (Thank you Pastor B). Educationally I need to work on learning more about youth ministry. That is definitely where my heart is and where I love serving. There are more personal things I would like to learn and read about but taking better care of myself and my family.

I was not really phased at turning 30 until a couple of weeks ago it really started to sink in. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to whine about being old or leaving my twenties, that doesn’t bother me.  However, I do think a lot about where I am and “what I have to show” for almost 30. Parts of my mid twenties were not very glamorous, but I learned and grew. I know God has a plan for everything and His timing is perfect.  I know I have an amazing, beautiful, quirky, silly, fun, and just wonderful family to take care of and love and do this crazy life thing with. I am finding a bright, real, true, and intentional purpose and passion rooted in Christ, Faith, and family. It is going to be a long process and road for sure but I Can’t wait to see what is in store and the growth God has planned.

Sorry for such a long time between posts! I will get better! Another thing I am working on. To-Do-Lists and checking things off!! It’s really very freeing! Have a fantastic weekend everyone!!

 

I’m A Mrs. <3

Indeed I am!! That folks is my husband. I’m going to dish a little about him, how we met, and then some:)

His name is Aaron. Took me a while to get to that point! Let me explain! For a while at my church I did volunteer check-in. Our church is HUGE!! So remembering someone’s name can take some time. But I could never, ever remember Aaron’s name. Then one Sunday I was checking myself and my kids in and he was doing the same.  I had seen him before several times but never SEEN him if you know what I mean. I have no clue what was different about that Sunday but I remember just about everything. His daughter was hiding behind his leg and peeking out with her beautiful eyes and pretty, pong, red hair. Aaron was wearing a yellow button up shirt, sleeves cuffed up just to the elbows… I love that shirt! 🙂 He smiled and I was smitten immediately. I saw him in passing and my son, Max pointed him out during service so we said hello and went about our day.

I could not get him out of my head and racked my brain for the better part of the afternoon trying to remember his name. FINALLY I did! Amen for Facebook. I found him sent a cute message and did not honestly expect to hear back! He is 14 years my senior and I was a little surprised at first when I saw his birth date but that smile 🙂 That was May 26, 2012. Our first date was June 1, 2012 and we have been married just over 90 days! October 26, 2013 I married the perfect man for me.

I just wanted to share that bit and let you know a little about my hubby. I like saying that and when people call me Mrs. It took me a while to get to that point. There was a not so bright time after being with Max and Riley’s father. I tried to fill a big empty space with everything but God. It was a spiritual roller coaster ride. I finally came to a place where I was okay with my situation and I knew God would take care of me and my heart. When I finally said, “Okay God I’m all yours, every bit,” I felt such a peace and I was finally comfortable and not so consumed. Not consumed with being alone, or who I was going to marry or when. His timing is perfect because a couple of months after this spiritual growth time and movement, I met Aaron.

Aaron complements me. He makes me want to do more and be more and better in a lot of ways.

Thank you Bob Marley. These words were shared at our wedding and I never knew it was possible to feel this way about someone. Words cannot express how I feel about our future and our family!

Happy February everyone!!

love and hugs

Mrs. Davis ❤

She’s mine I swear!

So now I will introduce to you Riley; aka Riley-Bug. She is without a doubt mine. I used to get asked a lot because when she was born her hair was dark and curly like mine and now it is blonde and gorgeous. She always has fun :P.  I knew she was a girl from the start because my pregnancy with her was more “exciting” shall we say. She insists on doing things her own way and in her own time. She didn’t walk or talk for what seemed like forever. After a couple dr visits and evaluations they basically told us she didn’t want to yet. Boy , well girl… we had no idea what we were in for! She is an amazing burst of energy that I wish I had half of on a good day. Riley is definitely a treasure and I know she has so much to offer. She is a challenge, a sweetheart, a giver, a fighter, a lover, an artist, a singer, a girly-girl, a tom-boy. She is my beautiful girl and I am excited to share this fantastic part of me with you!

I say she is a challenge because some days I yell more than I want to and I am outdone by my 6 and a half year old. She reminds me of the sister from the newer version of a movie about a cat with fabulous stripped accessories. “Oh, I don’t wanna be a princess, in a constitutional monarchy, parliament has all the real power.” The bits and pieces of her that drive me nuts some days I know without a doubt will take her places when she is an adult. She is definitely going to give this world a run for it’s money!

One of my favorite things about her is that she sings everywhere, all the time. She sings while she is coloring, shower or bath, and on the pot. I snagged a video of her belting out some Alicia Keys while she was swimming in the tub. No doubt a very serious experiment to see what she sounded like when her ears were submerged.

One of my other favorite things about her is her art. She is so talented. When she is mad or upset she colors. When she’s happy she draws. Her creativity is amazing! I have learned so much from her it’s pretty freaking awesome.

Riley and our other daughter, Paige, are very similar, I think I will introduce her another time. They would never admit their similarities and they constantly butt heads. I wouldn’t change a thing though. Something else pretty cool, the boys are similar too. I have always wanted 2 or 3 or 4 kids. When did did that happen? When did I grow up? Speaking of growing up, it’s past my bed time. late night bloggers unite?! Okay seriously thinking it is time for bed!