mrs. independent.

silverspoon fed. yeah, not quite. cuddled a little too much, maybe yes.

you know how some people get their first job at like 14? i got my first job when i was 20.
people get their driver's license at 15, didn't learn to drive until i was 21.
people move out of their parents the eve of their 18th birthday. didn't move out until i got married, and have never lived in a different city than my parents. in fact never more than 15 or 20 minutes away.

you could say it's actually pretty lame, but when i got married, i never really became independent either. i just hid behind another shadow and placed my dependancy onto someone else.

flat tire. call the husband.
left the keys inside the house. call the husband.
got a notice in the mail. tell the husband to call.
there's a wasp inside the house, tell the husband.
need an oil change.. you got it. call the husband.

i got so used to this way of being that it just seemed natural to me and he has always been so gracious to come to my rescue.
until last week, i got a flat tire and the kids needed to be picked up from school. husband was far away and wasn't going to get there in time. instead of just waiting around, possibly crying a little bit, i braved the storm. well traffic in this case. yes risky and possibly not the safest choice, but i knew a tire repair shop was not very far and with emergency blinkers on and being flipped off by a couple of drivers that were not as empathetic, i made it to the shop, told the guy what i needed, paid for my repaired tire and picked up my kids.

the saturday following, i left my keys inside the car while it was running. i panicked and called the husband. when he didn't pick up right away, i grouped myself together and called roadside assistance. when the husband returned my phone call, i very grown up like and matter of factly simply informed his assistance was no longer required as roadside assistance was on the way.

you guys. i know some of you might be wondering how i've managed to keep three kids alive if i panic when my keys are left inside a car. but seriously, it felt like a monumental day for me. mrs. independent woman who doesn't need a man...wait that's another channel and totally kidding, but a woman who can be independent in letting go of fear and the feeling of being incapable of certain things.

in a way i've always been hiding behind the shadow of my parents and my husband. now i'm not saying i'm going to branch off, rebel and not consider my husband anymore. absolutely not, i need someone to pay the bills. kidding again. but what i am saying is that i felt so good about myself for recognizing that i can do things on my own without always calling my husband or dad to rescue me.

this feeling of slight independence has me wanting to chase the dreams i've kept behind the shadows much more now than before. it's so weird and almost ridiculous. but you know, i really like it.

who knew that a flat tire could lead to such revelation?

how about you, do you consider yourself pretty independent?

back that thang up.

source

a recent conversation on prom with the baby sister and i.

me: do you even know how to dance?
her: NO!!! I don't know how to drop it like it's hot.
me: you mean you don't know how to back that thang up?
her: i don't even have a thang to back up!!

and i cracked up.
have a lovely weekend beautiful friends and don't forget to shake it like a salt shaker and let loose! (in the most classy way that you can, that is.)

a few notes.

my loot from yesterday. eggplant and broccoli not pictured.

dear challenge, we are finishing the third week now. one more week to go. you've been good to me, i'm happy. you and me might take it for a few more weeks. excited? me too. dear God, thank you for being there on said challenge. I know my strength has come from you alone. I couldn't have made it this far on my own. dear spring, you're a teaser little thing, aren't you? 37 degrees this morning, really? it's okay though. i'm not looking to triple digits summer. dear time, it's okay to slow down. where are you going in such a hurry!

dear lover, i love our life. so calm, not a lot of drama. except when you pick on me out of the blue. shame on you, but i love you.

dear friends, have an amazing weekend!!

on this friday...

source (edited by me)

...this girl right here is extremely thankful. for what you ask?

for you guys. seriously.

you guys rock. i'm always so blown away by the encouragement and support that you all have to offer.

and if we lived closer, i'd love to sit around and chit chat and share stories of everyday life. it would be fantastic, i just know it.

but until then, i just wanted to stop in today to say thank you, merci, gracias, grazie.

your prayers, your words, your encouragement. it means the world.

now go and have a fabulous friday. you deserve it!

photo crush.

one thing about me that you should know is i'm a sucker for pictures.
if i come over one day, one sure way to entertain me is with photo albums. maybe i'm nosy, but i love looking at other's snippets of life through photography. and photography itself it's such an art i'm obsessed with and the possibilities are endless in capturing what seems like  ordinary and transforming it into something beautiful.

if the world ends, i got chicken soup.

can we all agree the weather has gone bonkers? yesterday driving back to work from lunch, the highways almost looked like there was an evacuation. fire trucks and ambulances whizzing by, stoplights completely out, a tree had been knocked down due to 55mph winds, and smoke clouds from a serious fire at a water facility plant. my house walls just shook all through the evening. it was scary, like the end of the world scary. okay, maybe i'm exaggerating. i can't even imagine what it must be like in the middle of a snow storm. i'd probably die.
anyway. i was glad to be home and toasty, so i did what seemed fitting just in case the world ended.. made some nice and piping hot chicken soup. threw in some corn for a southwestern kind of flare. cause i'm from texas. you got to.

if you're snowed in, stay in pj's all day, roast some marshmallows and jump on the bed with the kids. i know that's probably what i'd be doing. if not then enjoy the day if you have sun. i'm jealous.

ps. i've read a lot of 'blogging how to, why to blog' posts recently. if you feel the slight interest in these topics check this one out, and this one.

linking up:

tell me tuesday

shenanigans.

well hello and happy monday!

i wasn't really planning on posting but i thought i would do a quick post to let you in on our shenanigans here lately.

lots of family time. and eating. because that's all that important:

family and eating. good times right there.

yesterday we headed out of the house to have lunch and do a little shopping. long day but productive.

i've realized i have an obsession with avocados. i will add them on just about anything. pizza, yes. eggs, yes. soup, yes. salad, yes. spaghetti. better believe it.

my little girl and i have found a place in the house where we are both in our element and enjoy the heck out of it. this girl looooves to be in the kitchen, if it's not eating, it's helping mom around. she will even bring out her own little cookie cutters.

i got taken over tha chalkboard mania, and hung one big one for inspiring memos to my little family. currently it says:

'gratitude turns what we have into enough.'

word.

if you recall i once stated that for my 32nd birthday, i'd be rocking leather skinnies. that was my motivation. well, lace skinnies are somewhat the equivalent and this girl here rocked them for date night on valentine's. yep, i felt oh so pretty.

i might as well be able to claim legos on my tax return. these annoying little things are everywhere in my house, but i try not to complain as much as it awakens my little one's creative juices. he does these crazy creations without templates or manuals. just out of his little imagination.

my valentine's. handsome and witty. i heart him a lot.

napa valley salad. walnuts, cranberries, and grilled chicken on a bed of greens with balsamic vinaigrette. it was yum.

and finally my cheesy old self.

that's in a nutshell my life as of late. anything interesting happening in yours? tell me about it!

have a lovely day sweets!

five minute friday.

I came upon this today and thought it would be fun. Just pouring out what's on my mind today. so here we go.


So standing in line waiting for my breakfast this morning, i ran into my old boss. How i loved being in her team. She is truly the most down to earth and sweetest person I've ever met. Not to mention this girl wears no makeup and is beautiful!

Any way, we got to talking kids and again I was reminded how fast time flies and how important it is to treasure it.  She has two little girls and always cracks me up when she tells me of their shenanigans.
So both having little girls, the conversation got to be about periods. yep. standing in line for breakfast. like seriously.
but she mentioned she heard somewhere little girls start getting theirs now around nine years old.
I flipped out! NINE YEARS OLD.

My daughter is about to be eight. I can't even.
If I as a grown adult, HATE getting it and walk around being the grumpiest, I don't even know how a baby can deal with that.
I realize that it has to do with genes and nutrition so she may not be one of the few. God I hope not.
That would take 'she's growing up too fast.' to a whole new level.
Then it got me thinking about my oldest. Going to be eleven in a few months.
She said: that's a young man right there. and i lost it. inside of course.
can't cry over spilled milk. get it. in the cafeteria, breakfast..spilled milk.
but it really isn't spilled milk. my kids lives are flying by right before my eyes.
What is this mother to do!! Lord hold me.

                                               ____________________

So that was my morning. How is your morning going today? Oh and by the by, just because i like to torture myself, check out my first vlog ever why don't you (previous post) I'm talking about the new series coming up on the blog. love yall's guts! haha.

linking up with:

welcome to my coffee shop.

i'm a dreamer. a big time dreamer. some dreams come and go. like when i wanted to make custom car seat covers, though i don't know how to sew.

or like the time i wanted to do interior designing, though i don't even have my house decorated.

so those dreams are more like 'oh that would be fun' thoughts.

however, one dream that remains and pray that one day God allows me the opportunity somehow, is to own my own little quaint coffee shop.

one, i LOVE coffee.

two, i love pastries.

three, i love the ambiance of coffee shops.

so, i think it's a given. this dream has potential.

i have the vision of how it'd look too.

(all images from tumblr/pinterest. art by joan mitchell)

as you walk in, you would see white distressed cabinets with open shelving against an exposed brick wall.

the menu would be handwritten on large chalkboards with the neatest handwriting and prices would be comfortable too.

on the open shelving, i'd display the cups/plates used for serving so it could feel as you were right at home.

as you waited for your order you would browse the walls adorned with beautiful art pieces from local artists. myself included, of course. (that's fair right?)

and if you'd rather enjoy your coffee/latte/chai tea with the most scrumptious pastry ever, right there in my coffee shop, you would be able to make your way over to the lounge area.

it'd be a cozy space with handmade sofa pillows and a bookshelf with an array of books to fit your taste, while you spend an afternoon enjoying yourself.

i can see it as a location for girlfriends to meet up and chit chat while catching up.

a location for a husband and wife to steal a moment from a busy day, or where an engagement photo shoot might take place.

and at the end of the day, i would have my children and husband join me for our own coffee shop date.

one day. one day it might be the case.

what do you dream about?

tid bits.

reality has a way of setting in on that first full day back at work, doesn't it?
while i'm not too ecstatic to be back at work, i know that we have to work hard to play harder.
and 'play harder' we did. we had a great time, the kids had a blast and now i'm just counting the days until our next vacay. i'll post some pics and talk about our trip later on this week, maybe next. (300+ pics is a lot to edit!) but until then, here are some tid bits on my mind.

first off: i see some new faces around here! thank you all sweet people for becoming a reader on my little blog. i'm so happy to have you all and would love to get to know you all better. leave me a comment or email me! and to my veteran readers, thank you all again for your support and encouraging words. you all are awesome!

second: i am participating in a giveaway of $100 for two lucky winners. please enter, and keep your fingers crossed. oh and if you win, my favorite color is mustard and love some good chocolate. just saying. :)

third: i know i've been babbling about this new series i have up my sleeve. and after much going back and forth, i've decided to bring it to you in a vlog series. to say i'm nervous about it, is an understatement. i've always been shy on camera, but given the topic of the series, i thought it would be much more personable to speak to you in lieu of writing. keep your eyes peeled for an intro vlog to the series next week. yay!!

fourth: the 'healthy you, happy you' link up will still be happening tomorrow. get your posts ready freddies. i love to read how you all are staying refreshed, and loving yourselves. and thanks to all who have been linking up.
if anyone is interested in co-hosting for February, please email me at leahmtz @ gmail (dot) com.

fifth: the site will be having some remodeling done here and there. please be patient with me. i have a vision, but the lack of time and money to have someone else do it for me, takes longer for the vision to unfold.

that's all that i have for now ladies. hope you all are having a fantastic week!

sunday funday

The husband has been working so hard for the past few weeks and today he took the day off. 

Naturally, we needed to enjoy every minute together and headed out with the kids on the town.

There's this part of town where old houses have been turned into boutiques and restaurants. It is so picturesque I could stroll those streets for hours. 

We found this little pizzeria which has the coolest decor inside with 80's music blasting from the speakers, and arcade games to enjoy while you wait.

the food was phenomenal. garlic Parmesan bread and a Greek salad hit the spot so, so good!

and of course the pizza rocked my socks off! 

our tummies are still very full, left over pizza sits in a box, and my heart has a smile from ear to ear. 

spending time with my husband and kiddos on the weekend is what i look forward to all week and it never really disappoints. i'm one truly blessed girl. 

i'm about to crash, yall and it's not even nine yet. Some might call that getting old, but I'll take it!

pizza talk + something new.

besides coffee, pizza is always a good thing to enjoy while having real talk. don't you agree? it's my favorite.

so let me let you in on something: i'm complicated.

the husband and i have always joked that he and i are like oil and water, syrup and spaghetti (if you know where that's from big high five sista), you get the idea. don't get me wrong, we love each other and are great together, attesting to the 'opposites attract', 'men are from mars and women are from venus' theory.

but as of late, i have noticed that who i am changes constantly and is more unpredictable than texas weather. (exhibit A:my ever changing blog design.)

i might very well be from pluto.

sometimes, okay.lie, a lot of times i don't even know what i want and who i am anymore. and if i can be brutally honest here, i find myself having mini therapy sessions with myself. not the jekyll and hyde kind, just talking to myself trying to sort the thoughts out in my head. i'm on the verge of being a nut job, maybe. and i get irritated with myself because in my head i want to be so many things that i'm not and probably i'll never be.

i love my husband for loving me at my worst, when i feel i don't really deserve to be loved. he is forgiving and so are my kiddos. mommy is mean sometimes and truth be told, i've been dubbed the meanest mommy in the world at times.

while i go through my changing moods which are dangerous around certain days and an identity crisis which might have to do with nearing middle age (yikes!) i know that i can hold on to something that's truer than how much i love pizza.

although i'm impatient, my worst critic, clumsy, passionate, eager to do too much all the time, forgetful and trying to let go of anxiety over petty things, I am the child of someone bigger than all of it. God takes me in as i am, that big ball of mess that I myself am trying to figure out and loves me day in and day out. he kneads out all the lumps and smooths things out perfectly. my identity is in Him, in Christ. and that should be where i look towards each day. no exceptions.

during the past couple of weeks, i've read many posts that have resonated within me on how we women think, what we feel, what we go through. some have been stretched thin emotionally and physically with no time left to deal with it all and bottle it up. two words: no.bueno.
so i thought that we should have a motivation to look into ourselves and hash stuff out that stressing us out in a healthy way. think: 'me time.'

starting next week, i will be hosting my first link-up (insert nervous awkward happy dance), with the purpose of encouraging all of us women to live happier, live better.
that might be running a good three miles every morning to clear your mind, writing things down, worshiping your heart out, or kneading dough. whatever it is for you, blog about it and join me so together we can encourage one another. i get so encouraged by all of you on a daily basis and I know others would too.

photo credit

i'll post more details on it on Monday after a much needed weekend break. these days have no shame anymore on how fast they go by!

ps. in the meantime, if you need prayer please know although i'm imperfect, i'll be more than happy to pray for you. email me:
leahmtz@gmail.com

linking up with:

An Aloha Affair

for a minute.

via 



more loaded than my to do list, are my pinterest boards. pin, pin, pin and never get around to doing it.

i came across the above quote a couple of days ago, exhaled, smiled, but forgot to pin.

the end of an era.

no, i'm not referring to the twilight saga peeps, and okay, maybe not an era.

the On My Heart Series wrapped up last week and i feel extremely blessed. it was a short series but full of blessing for me. 

there's something to say about when we come to hold His word dear to our heart. i'm far from perfect and quite possibly while i'm here on earth, I will never reach that state. but just knowing that
His grace is enough, that my life is held by His hands is what will make my soul be okay.

Thank you so much for all of your encouraging words through it! my hope is that anyone that walked through my "doors" as nicole put it, received a blessing.

i'm looking forward to writing more series on this blog. my wheels are turning on a new one now.. hint, hint.. involves the men in our lives!

enjoy the rest of your sunday, tomorrow is monday. dun, dun, dun.

in my thirties.

link

the other day i took a moment to myself, to just kinda soak in the reality of what my life is today. sitting there i thought upon how people change, and i'm no exception. my wants, my thoughts, my dreams have changed and i just wonder how much more that will change when i hit 40. (you know just typing that number in didn't make me flinch a bit. i guess that's a good thing?)

it is said that the older the wiser. while i don't know that i would consider myself wise, i do see things differently now than in my 20's, and i thought i would share. here my friends are some of my pearls of wisdom.

sunday random bits

so my kids naturally, didn't get the memo. we get an extra hour of sleep kiddos! nope, 7:20 am on a sunday is almost a sacrilege to me since i never get to sleep in any other day. 

i had no choice but to get up, and make a homemade breakfast. nothing fancy, just some cinnamon pancakes and good ol' eggs for protein. and of course caffeine. lots of caffeine. 

i am getting the kiddos to myself since the hubby is working seven days a week for the next three weeks due to hurricane sandy. not a happy wifey. 

started off our day with a puzzle and i foresee some crafting during the day. laundry is going on and i am browsing shabby apple.com since this lucky girl won herself a gift card from Stephanie!

I miss my love already but appreciate how hard working he is. 8,000 claims from the hurricane and counting. i can't even imagine the devastation that these people are going through. let's continue to keep everyone of them in our prayers.