Oh, Hi!

Sweet friends, thanks for all of the anni love yesterday. We didn't do anything special or fancy this year, so it was just our style. :) Mark surprised me and came home from work early. (That was the best!) We had a cookout at my sister's house. Oh! And we put up a swing my sister got for the little Pie. She looked so cute swinging!

(Romper)
Cheers to 3 years (even though Nancy is not amused)!
ANYWAY! Did anyone spot me on Talk of the Trains the other day? Lauren is someone who I wish lived in Charlotte because I look up to her as a mama. She's doing this fun series called "The Talking Mom," and it's still cool to me that I get to be a part of it because I am, in fact, a mama (pinch me!). Pop on over and take a look!
Side note: this if my favorite post Lauren has ever written. It resonated with me. I think of it often. It's just a beautiful story, and I am so glad she wrote it down. (...and I so look forward to figuring out "Nancy's song.") :)
Happy Wednesday, y'all! Thank you for being a part of this little space--this creative outlet--of mine. I just want you to know that I appreciate your love, support, kind words, and readership with all my heart! I hope you have a great day today!!

Perspective | Elena's Story [Guest Post]

It's all about perspective. Lots of it. And we can only gain more by looking beyond ourselves. I am  so thankful for this bloggy friend of mine and her heart to share her story; I am thankful for the deeper perspective I gain from reading her words. Meet Elena...

Hello Cheers Y'all readers!  First off, a huge thank you to Elise, isn't she just the sweetest thing and the cutest pregnant girl ever?  My name is Elena and I blog over at Baby Ridley Bump.  To some of you I might be a familiar face and to others you may have never heard of me.  When Elise told me that I could post about whatever I wanted I was kind of overwhelmed!  There are so many things I could talk about and you'll notice I can be long-winded, because I love to talk, but I thought I would stay true to my heart & my purpose, and talk about my advocacy for infertility awareness.  

Sometimes I think I sound like a broken record, that every guest post I've ever done has been about infertility, maybe for once I’d talk about something else, but when you’re an advocate for something and you’re given a platform to talk about anything you want, then you take that opportunity to spread the word about that advocacy.  So here I am today, broken record or not, to tell you a little bit about something I consider myself to be an expert on and that’s infertility. 

To me, infertility is not talked about enough.  I think some couples feel shame when they learn they might be infertile and that it's something that isn't that common.  Did you know 1 in 8 couples is infertile?  That’s a lot!  Think of all the people you know, think of that statistic, and then think about how many of them (or maybe even yourself) actually struggled in some way with infertility.  It’s an astonishing number!  With my blog my mission is to make the word “infertility” accepted and take away the label of infertility being taboo.  Don't be ashamed or scared of it, say it out loud, and make it known or just understand that it is a serious disease that many couples go through and I cannot stress enough the importance of talking and spreading awareness about when to seek treatment, and what kind of treatment is out there.   Especially because there have been so many wonderful advances in science that have helped many couples get that miracle that they hope for.  

When I started blogging in 2012 I had no idea the direction my blog would end up taking.   What I once thought would be a blog about getting pregnant and raising a child has now, almost three years later, a year's worth of fertility treatments later, 2 IUI's later, 1 miscarriage later, and 3 failed IVF rounds later, turned into a blog about sharing my story of infertility and still trying to get pregnant.  I share every nitty-gritty detail because to me, it could help the next person who learns they are infertile.  I do it for anyone who needs someone to relate to, for anyone who feels like they are alone because they aren't.  I’m here to say don’t give up, keep the faith, and be brave.  

I hope that my passion, positivity, and conviction towards my advocacy shines through to you all in this post and you can maybe get a glimmer of what kind of blogger I am.  I am open and honest which to me is the the most important quality a blogger can have.  Sometimes my posts come from the raw emotion that infertility causes, and sometimes they come from what my favorite monthly products are, or  new favorite recipe, or how the house we are building is coming along.  It’s not all profound messages about infertility it’s a little bit of everything and I welcome anyone who wants to follow along!

Lastly, I want to take this opportunity to thank, first, my fellow infertility bloggers, you ladies rock! And second, all the other bloggers out there, the fashion, the lifestyle, the little bit of this little bit of that bloggers because you all have been overwhelmingly supportive.  Even if you may not ever experience infertility or totally understand the lingo and the terms and the situation, so many of you have shared your words of encouragement and support and for that I am eternally grateful!  I hope I didn't ramble too long, I could go on for days!  Thank you again Elise, we've been blogger buddies for a while and I can’t wait to follow you along on your journey of parenthood and watch little Miss Nancy. 
 

Be sure to pop over to Lena's blog -- January's champagne sponsor!

Flowers in my Hair [Guest Post]

In thinking about what to write today, I came up short. You see, my grandfather went to be with the Lord a week ago. In watching him die, I learned that God is Nigh, that women Hold up the Sky, and at his funeral, we tried our best to Dance through Grief.  If you want to know me, see below. If you want to know my heart, read the posts above.


I'm offering 20% off sponsor spots with the code: elisexo Thanks for knowing me and possibly getting to know my heart.

     
 Flowers in my Hair Blog | Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest 

Storyteller [Guest Post]

Storytelling is no joke. Maybe that seems like an obvious thing to write as a blogger, on a blog, for many other bloggers to read (I promise not to overuse the word blog or blogger) but I am learning it is not as obvious as one would think. It certainly wasn't to me. I love recipes and outfits of the day. I love myself a DIY project and hearing and writing about life. You will find all these things on my blog and I love reading about them on so many other blogs as well. Please hear that first. And that won't change either.

 

Recently, I shared a story, a hard story, a story that had every muscle in my body tense and coiled as I hit publish. Even now, I am forcing myself to write it here instead of pushing links at you: I was in a physically and sexually abusive relationship for nearly two years with a boy/man who went to church, prayed with me, fought for purity with me, and loved Jesus. I know so many of those things seem contradictory (that is because they are contradictory) and yet this is my story. (You can read more here: part i, part ii, part iii, part iv because that is not what this guest post is about.) This is about you and your story. (I can't help loving stories, even the hard ones; I'm a writer.)

 

You have a story and I have more. These are hard stories and funny stories and complicated stories. Sometimes they are isolating stories. We feel like we must be the only ones. We are not. As soon as I told my story, women came forward (too many) and I felt broken hearted at their stories and bound up all at once. And now God is moving in my heart and life in crazy ways in that area but also when it comes to stories. I've written novels hidden on my computer. Now I am being pushed (Oh, Lord how you graciously you push sometimes) to write stories, my stories, pushed to write them down for others to someday read. I'm terrified yet determined to be brave.

 

Stories are powerful and if you're reading this, you have a platform and your experiences are valid. It's not just your blog, either. It's your life. Your work. Your neighbors. These are all platforms you have been given and entrusted with and your experiences are part of a much larger tapestry if you allow them to be. If you allow them to be. In my case, the story I've recently shared is difficult but it is one of God's healing and continued restoration and redemption. That is really the most important part of the story. And let's be honest, Jesus values stories a great deal.

 

I dearly love this community. Be brave, ladies. Be free in Christ and be brave. Stop on over the blog and use the code ballerina for 20% off any ad space. Also there is a raffle going on from this month's sponsors for some lovely Kate Spade earrings. Thanks for this this time, Elise. You are incredibly supportive and a joy.

 Love,

  

 Bloglovin' | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Wine Rack DIY [Guest Post]

Hi y'all!  I'm Taylor and I share my DIY projects and tasty recipes over at tattered to taylored!  I've been reading Elise's blog since it all began and feel honored to be sharing one of my DIY projects with you all today!

My home is currently in Dallas, TX,  I say currently, because I've been uprooted a few times now!   And I'm living in the kind of apartment i've always wanted, an urban loft!  I love to entertain so it wasn't a surprise when this was built in our home!  Now that I have an area to entertain, I needed a place to hang some wine glasses of course, but I didn't want a normal rack.  I wanted to hang my glasses at different levels, so I needed to DIY.  And being the frugal gal that I am I decided to take some tattered wire coat hangers and taylor them into industrial wine glass racks...

What you need:

wire coat hangers

wire cutters

screws

pipe strapping

safety gloves

Cut into the hanger about six inches on both the top and bottom, leaving the far edges that connect the top and bottom intact.  So you'll be about to get two single glass racks out of one hanger.  Bend the edges of this hanger up so the glass has somewhere to sit.  Cut your pipe strapping so you have three holes in each strip using your wire cutters.  And of course, wear your safety gloves!

Screw in the top hole of your pipe strapping.  Next, slide in your coat hanger rack before securing it by screwing in a screw to the bottom hole of your pipe strapping.  

Make sure your new rack has its prongs lifted up slightly and not flat to prevent your glass from sliding out.  By having single racks you can place your glasses in fun new ways instead of straight lines!  You're now ready to party!  Just add wine and friends!

Be sure to stop by tattered to taylored to follow me on my DIY journey!  You can also find me on other fun places like instagram, twitter, and pintrest!

 

  Be sure to visit Taylor, my champagne sponsor! She's one of my fave DIY extraordinaires!

Fiesta Crockpot Chicken [Guest Post]

Hello again, Cheers Y'all friends!

 I am so excited to be back with you today! If you missed me last month, I am Jenni and I blog over at Frankly My Dear. I am a lover of all things vintage, homemade, & southern! If you've never dropped by my neck of the woods, I would love to get to know you better.

But enough about me...on to the good stuff! Today I am excited to bring you one of my favorite new crockpot meals. Easy & Delicious...what could be better?

What You'll Need:
Frozen Chicken Breast - 2.5-3 lbs.
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 Can of Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1 Can of Corn, drained
1 Can of Rotel
1 Reynolds Crockpot Liner

Your first step is to spray your crockpot with nonstick spray or use Reynolds Crockpot Liners. Y'all have to check these out if you don't already use them. They save marriages...trust me! I raved about them here & there's even a coupon for them here. Try them...you WON'T be sorry!

Next, place your frozen chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.

Dice up your cream cheese & place on top of chicken.

Add your drained & rinsed black beans on top of your cream cheese.

Dump in drained corn & rotel on top of that.

Cover with lid & cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
If you are around you can stir the ingredients every hour or so but is definitely not necessary.

Turn your crockpot off 30 minutes before you are ready to serve so that it will thicken up. You may shred the chicken or serve the breast as is.

I served mine over Spanish Rice with tortilla chips & salsa. It was perfect!

Although it was not in the original recipe, the next time I make it, I will add a half packet of taco seasoning. The spanish rice really added flavor to the meal & I think it would be extra delicious if those seasonings were cooked in from the beginning. My hubby also mentioned that he thought a dash or two of hot sauce & some onions would be good. The possibilities are endless!

Well, what do you think?! I told you it was easy & delicious!

Thank you so much for joining me today & a huge shout out to the lovely Elise for allowing me to share on her blogity blog today! I so enjoy meeting y'all & hope you drop over sometime soon!

Frankly my dear...get cookin'! 

Gift Guide for Blogger Friends [Guest Post!]

Hello, friends! I'm Khala from The Birdie Bowl and I'm so excited to be guest posting over here at Cheers Y'all!

 

One of my favorite things to do is gift shop for other people. I love finding that personal, perfect gift for those I love, and my blogger friends are no different! Do you know a blogger, or have blogging besties? I've put together a little gift guide to all things blogging! Take a peek below!

 

 

I Love You, Blogs & Coffee Print:: I've seen this in so many places, and I think I need to have one.

Keep Calm & Blog On Print:: How fun is this? I also adore the accessories around the print.

Eat Love Blog Print:: We ladies love us some gold, right? You can find this darling print here.

Baby Onesie:: I'm sorry, but how adorable and hilarious is this? You can find this gem here.

Phone Case:: You read that right. A phone case that says Eat Blog Love. How can you not love that!

Blog Planner:: My gal pal Samantha turned me onto these! You can find these printable, personalized planner pages through the Etsy shop I Heart Organizing.

Note Cards:: I'm a sucker for pen paling, and have recently started writing some of my new blogging friends! Found these through Zazzle.

Mug:: I thought this mug was so fun. "I am SO gonna blog about this." Too cute {and probably often appropriate} You can find this mug, along with several others through Zazzle.

Do you have any go-to gifts for friends, or even your blogging pals?

A big THANK YOU to Elise for hosting me today on her lovely, darling blog! I hope you all stop by The Birdie Bowl and say hi!

 

  Now go visit my lovely sponsor, Khala!