At Home Shopping

Hello again! I promise, we have not been ignoring you, but life has kept us a bit busy. And with that being said, thank you as always for stopping by to visit during your busy lives. We appreciate it more than you know.

Recently I've been "shopping" in my own home. Rearranging from room to room, to "freshen" things up a little. As I have been working very hard to obtain financial peace, I've placed myself on a spending freeze.  Unfortunately, this became the end result of the wall by my back door after moving a picture from here to another room. Honestly, I'm embarrassed to say, it's been blank for weeks. I had nothing to put there at all.

Until this white frame fell from the top of a cabinet where it was propped as a layering piece. I picked it up and had nothing else to do with it, but hang it on the empty nail by the door (light bulb moment..). Picture quality...not so good. Sorry, I'm working on this...



I wish my cabinets were painted white. I'm not that brave just yet and my husband would probably not dig the idea. Oh well,  I'll dwell on it a little longer..

  As I shopped the house for the perfect decorative plate or picture of my girls to place in the center, I thought of the dinner party we were having for my nephew Bradley that night, as he is leaving in a few days for Haiti. How appropriate to find a picture of him to celebrate. This is his second mission trip and he had such wonderful pictures of his previous trip. It was a tough decision, they're all so beautiful and touching. I chose one from the file, printed it on plain paper and this is the end result. I love it and it's staying here for a long time to come. To top it all off, free decor...I can afford that ;) 

                

A picture is worth a thousand words. You can see the love and this is exactly what's calling him back. He and his friend Blair are going to serve for a month and a half with Mission of Hope Ministries. If you would like to follow in their journey you can visit them at http://www.bb2haiti.blogspot.com/ .

They leave Wednesday, 2/16/2011. We pray for their protection as they follow God's will.

Here are a few other pictures from his past trip.

 Matthew 20:26-28 says “It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Blessings...Marie

Dear Dave,

Dear Dave Ramsey,

You have been consuming my every day and night.  All I think about is numbers and getting out of debt and how to make more money to do so.  I wanna be debt ffffrrreee!!!!

STOP WORRYING ABOUT MONEY

Connie and I, as well as our hubbies, have signed up for a course in Financial Peace University instructed by Dave.  He is teaching us to dump debt, build wealth and change our family tree.

Since beginning this journey several weeks ago, my husband and I have roped in all the figures and we're trying to grasp Dave's concept to "live like no one else so one day you can live like no one else."  I can say, living now like a college student (money-wise) ain't a whole lotta fun.  But we're holding onto the light at the end of the tunnel.  Accumulating debt didn't happen overnight and we're not expecting to get out of it overnight.  Hopefully by following Dave's advice, we'll be free of these chains of debt in 18 months!  We are motivated to do this because we feel like we were not put on this earth to be "slaves to the lender", as Dave likes to say.  I wanna live a decent life, give my kids what they need (and a little bit of what they want) and owe no one.  This takes a different mentality and getting over an instant gratification concept entirely.  We have to save and plan...period.  Dave says I can do this.  And if Dave says it...well then, I believe it!   I wish this was taught to us in school years ago and even more, I wish it was being taught to our kids in school now!  Believe me, our kids will get the concept, they really won't have a choice actually.... it's the hard knocks life these days, that's right!....we're taking baby steps...


So far we have:


1. Saved for our emergency fund.


2. Created a budget. This sounds simple huh, not so much.


3. Now we're working on paying off debts and snowballing it right on down the line....until our home is paid for and we're debt fffffrrrrreeeee!!!!!!  Seriously, it's possible!


btw, Dave says "sell so much stuff that the kids think they're next"....


This is a 13 week long series and we're 4 down. We'll keep you posted on our progress and how it's changed our lives.  Hopefully not divorce court...;)    Marie

An eye for pretty

We've linked up to The Shabby Nest. Wendy has a special touch to create spaces that are both livable and beautiful. Click on her site name or the link above. She would love to have you visit....you're in for a treat!

Road Trip Inspiration.........

Hello All! We apologize for the lack of posts here but down south we've been dealing with about 6 inches of snow and all of our normal daily lives seized for a while. We haven't had snow accumulation like this since 1989! It was nice to see it come and nice to see it go...

Marie's daughters, Alexis & Courtney and  best friends, Rascal and Rock enjoying the snow.

 Lately, we've been searching for inspiration. To get our minds away from this  miserably frigid beautiful wonder of nature, we thought we would share some past picks with you. All of these items have been sold.  We must say that we have mixed feelings on selling our finds. First of all, we have to love it to buy it and once you love something, it's hard to set it free.... that is until someone pulls out some cashola and things start getting a lil' easier to let go of.  A lot of these pieces needed some special TLC. Here are pics before these piggies were taken to the market.

Loved this table! We lucked up with it while cleaning out someone's garage.

Another garage find! This was a worth while day! What personality and character.

Both needed a little love. It's amazing what a coat of paint and fabric can do!

The drawer in this piece would slide out both sides. The buyer was so lucky to find this!

 



straight from craigslist! {love} {love} {love}



picked up at yardsale. added a coat of paint, shabby a little and waalaa!



We hope you enjoyed  strolling  down memory lane with us....

There are many picks to share from the past but this gives you a glimpse of what we brake for.

Stay warm and think sunny thoughts...........  ;)

Connie and Marie

Couponing 101 for 2011

Happy New Year to you!! We're so Happy you're here!  We know many people have resolutions for the new year.  If saving money is one of yours, here's a great way to start!


Buying diapers and baby wipes or know someone who is?  Start saving coupons now!  Instant Winner every time with a coupon!  You don't even have to buy a scratch off ticket! Planning dinner for the week?  Eat what you’ve stocked up on in the freezer or pantry with coupons.  Going out to eat?  Go where you have a coupon.  Need a printer, or any major purchase?  Google it and print a coupon.  This one step can save you big bucks.  Almost all stores such as Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, etc. accept each other’s coupons, just ask!  Do you know Target actually has Daily Deals and coupons posted at the bottom of its webpage?  Save on almost every purchase in all aspects with coupons.  The following info is couponing (yes, it is now a verb) as we know it.  And believe me, if we can do it anyone can.

Coupons = $ in your pocket!!

The world of couponing requires a peaceful, relaxed state of mind. (Did you know there was such a thing?)  Seriously, the more you put into this the more you’ll get out of it!  It’s like a game you’re learning to play and you want to keep beating your score (or in our case, we like to beat each other’s score…we are very competitive)!  In this case, the lower the score, the better!  Personally, our goal is always to save more than we spend.  There is nothing legal that can give you the same kind of high as spending $20 and saving $80 at the HT (Harris-Teeter).  This may not be good enough for some “extreme” couponers out there, but time is an issue with us. Between family and work, this is all we can do with q’s (coupons).  But it has become an important part of our lives over time.  It does make a HUGE DIFFERENCE with your finances and helps you save more than you can imagine!  Whatever your reasons for starting this new way of shopping, you are truly the wiser consumer for keeping your money in your own pocket!

OK, now that we're all relaxed.......

How Do I Start?

First Step, Start collecting coupons NOW! 

First and foremost, get to know Jenny, the goddess of couponing at www.southernsavers.com.  Watch her tutorial, it’s not long.  I would watch it a couple of times.  Get familiar with her site and learn the lingo (yes, it has it’s own language too).  This is very important because if you don’t, you’ll get overwhelmed and want to give up very quickly. Remember this should be a fun game and you want to win, win, win!
 
Sunday papers--- The gold standard for couponing.  If you have family/friends that buy the paper but don’t use the coupons, ask for them.  FREE is good!  If you have to buy papers, always get at least two.  If you live in a small city, buy your local paper and a “big city” paper that is available in your area.  They typically offer more coupons.  For example, we buy Wilmington and Raleigh papers.  SmartSource and Red Plum are the coupon inserts.  Once a month, Proctor & Gamble has a special coupon insert dedicated to their products but it is available only in select papers.
 
Printable Internet Coupons--- I visit several sites almost daily.  “Like” them on facebook and they’ll update several times a day on deals you never knew existed.  My personal favs are www.hip2save, www.momsbyheart.net and www.passionforsavings.com.  There are thousands of sites dedicated to couponing but I personally have to simplify and narrow things down.  I’m just that kinda girl. Keep it simple.
 
Blinkies on Store Shelves--- These are the little boxes with the blinking light that begs you to take a coupon or two and save money. You can find these on the shelves in grocery stores, Target and pharmacies. Don't ignore them any longer. Go ahead and take a few and save them for your coupon stash.  But please only take a few, remember to play nice, we're all in this together!
 
Peelies on Products--- A lot of products have q’s attached to them.  Go ahead, save that .50-$1.00.  Why not?  It all adds up at the register!
 
Manufacturers--- Call, email, or write to the manufacturers/companies. Tell them them how much you love their product or if you have a problem or complaint they want to know about it.  Some companies will send you coupons for discounts or even free products.

Magazines--- Especially All You magazine.  You can subscribe for less than a dollar a month or purchase at Wal-Mart.  Each issue typically has approximately $100 worth of coupons along with great general savings tips, recipes, diy projects, etc. (I hate to cut mine up but a girl has to do what a girl has to do)!


Catalinas--- You've probably been throwing these away for years! These are q's attached to your receipts at the grocery stores and some pharmacies. I never even looked at them in the past until this light bulb went off! Save them. Use them. They are like money in your pocket!

Ask around--- Tell your co-workers, neighbors, family and friends to give you any coupons they do not use.

Like we said, if we can do this anybody can.  Yeah, with anything new, you may get frustrated at first.  Been there, done that!  But in the long run, you will be telling others how to save.  Your friends will be calling you to tell you about their deals!  Just try it and it will change your life.  You’ll save so much money, you’ll be able to afford those coveted leather cowboy boots (right Marie)?  Any questions or problems, we’re here for you.  Don’t hesitate to contact us! There’s a lot more to come on this subject but let’s take it slow.  For now, start saving your coupons and watch the tutorials on the above mentioned sites.  They are the true experts!  Good luck… we have faith in you! :)


Happy Savings and Happy New Year!
Connie and Marie



Southern Chicks.......

First of all, we would like to say our Welcome Mat is laid out for you at all times!!!  Thank You for taking time out of your busy day to read our blog. It means the world to us!!



We want to tell you more about us and how we ended up here in blogland.  We have a business/hobby on the side called Southern Chic (pronounced Sheek).  We emphasize that because people in the south like to say "chick."  We are not offended, after all, we are southern chicks...North Carolina born and bred!

We love, love, love a flea market, yard sale, auction, roadside(not road kill) or just plundering through junk at a chicken coop!  Yes, a chicken coop.  We can find a gem in the least of places (and have). People ask us all the time where we find our stuff.  Here, there and everywhere!  Sometimes we take our finds and consignment pieces on our own personal "road show" to the fairgrounds at the Raleigh Flea Market.  Man, what a good time that is!  Hard work, yes, girls weekend away, yes, margaritas at our fav Mexican restaurant two days in a row, yes,yes!!!  That’s worth the trip right there!  Here's a few pics of how we roll at the market!

This "hobby" is not for the weak or faint-of-heart.  We load the trailer, pull the trailer and have one heck of a time getting the trailer in our space!  But we're working on that.  The guys at the market are fantastic and somehow show up like a God-send right in the nick of time!  No kidding, it's like an angel appears and has out-of-this world strength, lifting the trailer and moving it around on a dime!  It doesn't take much to impress us to start with, but this my dear is quite a feat!  The people that work these flea markets and shows earn every penny they make!  Words can't begin to tell you.  And if you love to people watch, then pull up a chair!  Oh the people you will meet!  

These are tough, long days.  Sometimes hot, sometimes cold, sometimes windy or wet.  You can't predict what's gonna happen. Our last weekend...."zero chance of rain and highs in the 60s."  It rained the entire weekend and lingered around 30 degrees!!!  What tha...it was cold as you know what, like being in the mountains in January!  We'll take the hot over the cold any day, thank you very much!  We are coastal chicks too ya' know.  This last miserable adventurous weekend is what made us check out other venues to peddle our wares.  

We hope this blog will serve as a journal of past and present re-creations and restorations. If and when we find something good along the way, we're gonna tell you about it!  We're among friends right?

As you'll see soon enough, we'll have to see what Dave (as in Ramsey) has to say about how often we take these trips to Raleigh! We've signed up for a course in January and will be on our way to "dumping debt, building wealth and changing the family tree!"  It’s all a journey and we're taking you along with us!

Please share with us any comments, suggestions or experiences. We would love to hear from you!!!

And let them eat cake.....

OK...we know if you read our last few posts it seems that we are all about eating and drinking (not that there's anything wrong with that).  But the weather outside is frightful...and not conducive to any sort of picking.  So before the holiday spirit is completely gone and our lives get back to normal, we wanted to share a Christmas moment.
  

Connie is an only child but married into a big, (10 siblings) Irish-Catholic family.  Talk about culture shock!  Anyway, it is tradition that when the Brooks clan gathers for their Christmas celebration, we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.  This year we even had a birthday cake for Him.
   

The Symbolism of Jesus' Birthday Cake

The cake is Devil's food cake..which represents our sins.

The white icing represents Jesus' purity which covers our sins. 

The angel reminds us of the first good tidings brought to us at His birth.

The red and white candles represent Jesus as the "Light of the World" and the blood that He shed for us.

The evergreens represent life everlasting for whosoever believes in Him.

Our family gathered around the dining room table......just say the word cake and we're there.  My nephew (shout out to Brooks..) read aloud the Symbolism of the cake as the candles were lit.  We sang Happy Birthday and the little ones blew out the candles.  It was a reminder to us all of the true spirit of Christmas.  And the cake was delicious!!! (Thanks, Mikki)

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!  We look forward to sharing in 2011!

Connie and Marie