stay or go?

I'm clearing out the store inventory and need to know which items should stay or go (that totally sounds like the intro to a terrible Dr. Seuss book).  Comment below and let me know if this pillow is a keeper or a sleeper!  Ok, seriously, I'll stop with the rhymes.  xoxo Courtney

diy lush's big shampoo

I can't stop touching my hair.  This could be a symptom of my OCD, but I believe it's because I have discovered the recipe to the most fabulous shampoo of all time.  My hair is so soft and fabulous that my hands just automatically go there - I can't stop them!

I am a lover of all things Lush Cosmetics, but I live in Knoxville, TN, where no Lush Cosmetics exists.  I could order my products online, but if you've ever seen some of Lush's products, you'll know they aren't exactly the cheapest of products.  Of course, they are handmade and all-natural and completely worth the price, but Miss Frugal over here is, naturally, going to challenge herself to come up with a way to make the shampoo at home for cheaper.  This time, instead of it being a disaster like usual, I actually succeeded... and it has been a huge success!

Of course my first stop was Pinterest to find a recipe, but I couldn't find one that I really liked.  I wanted to duplicate Lush's Big Shampoo, so that's what I searched for.  Most of the recipes I found said just to mix coconut oil, course sea salt, and castille soap.  Well, Lush's website clearly states there is avocado butter and seaweed extract, as well as lime juice in the shampoo, so those recipes do not fly with me.  It was time to get into mad scientist mode and make my own.

Here's a breakdown of my ingredients:

1.5 cups Dr. Bronner's Lavender Castile soap
2 tblsp coconut oil
2 tblsp seaweed powder
3 tblsp avocado butter
3 tblsp lime juice
.5 cups fine sea salt
1 cup course sea salt
30-40 drops of lavender essential oil
4 cups hot water


I pretty much added the ingredients except the castile soap in a large bowl and then used a hand mixer to mix them together.  The only problem is: A) The seaweed powder reeks, and B) I believe it's the avocado butter that makes the mixture somewhat chunky.  As I was mixing, I added the water (mine was straight from the tap, but you could add distilled if you're really picky), and the chunk almost completely dissolved (don't be fooled, it will come back later).  It helps to melt the coconut oil under hot water before measuring it, but the avocado butter won't melt, it will only soften.

Warning: This shampoo looks like someone threw up oatmeal when it's finished.

I let this watery green disgusting seaweed mixture sit for about an hour before using an old Dr. Bronner's bottle (you will probably want to either buy a DIY shampoo bottle from a craft store or use an old shampoo bottle) to pour in my concoction.  I filled my bottle halfway and then filled the rest with my castile soap.  As I shook, I noticed my chunks coming back, which was bothersome, but they ended up being okay in the shower and actually added some nice texture to my lather.  You could play around with the mixture, but I tried about 1/3 castile soap to 2/3 seaweed water at first and didn't like it, so I recommend about half-and-half.  It will give you a good lather.

It's not the prettiest shampoo you'll ever see, nor does it smell the best, but I am absolutely in love.  My hair feels clean and thick, just like if I were using Lush's Big Shampoo.  I am not having to use any products, and most importantly, I am using less heat on my hair.  Wait, this is most important: this shampoo is costing me pennies per use.  Yes, pennies.  Whatever I have leftover I just store in my refrigerator until I can use it.  Most of the products that I bought can be used for other purposes, and they are healthy and gentle for my body.  I am so in love.

Do you guys have any other suggestions to add to the shampoo?  What other ingredients would you like to try?  xoxo Courtney

ten things to do as a couple this summer

I have a problem with making time for Robert, my boyfriend, and he has a problem with making time for me.  We live together, so we automatically see each other, but I think living together has made it that much harder to make time to actually spend time together.  I've come up with my top 10 bucket list of things we can do together this summer.  It's probably not very realistic, considering Robert is serving almost everyday to pay off some bills, but maybe I could use it for next year.  The point is, we need to make more time for each other!

1. Go to a baseball game.
Baseball is my sport of choice.  I grew up learning the rules and all of the players, and I can spit out facts and stats now like they're chewin' tobacco.  This is essential for me.  If we have to settle for our local minor league team this year, that's okay, but I need my Atlanta Braves.  Cincinnati may be closer, but the Braves are America's team, and more importantly, my team, and it wouldn't be right if I went to a game without Robert.  I've been following them since I was the ripe old age of 3, and I want the tradition to carry on with my love.  My ultimate dream would be if we timed it so we could also make the Braves Bark in the Park game and take the dog with us.

2. See Dave Matthews perform live.
I haven't really listened to DMB in years, but when I was in college, I would go to 3 or 4 Dave concerts a year, and it was so much fun.  My parents would sometimes go with us, or my friends and I would go by ourselves, and it would always be an outstanding affair, which is something I want to get in the habit of doing again.  Even though we don't know any of his new music, both Robert and I have decided that Dave is a good enough musician that we would like to make an effort to see him every summer.  So far, we have plans to see him in Cincinnati on June 5, so I hope the tradition will actually start this year.

3. Tube the Ocoee with the dog.
I'm not even sure if this is allowed, but I would be happy to put my little Charlie in my lap and tube comfortably down the river with Robert and a cooler by my side.  So many of my friends have done this, and I feel like I'm missing out.  Yes, I might be allergic to the sun, and yes, the dog might be terrified of water, but I have sunscreen, and he has a lifejacket, and I think we could make it work.  Picture it: just the three of us and a cooler, floating along, no worries.  Ahhhh, life is good.

4. See a movie.
Sometimes life gets so in the way that we can't even stop and see a movie.  I'm not really a movie person, but I am a popcorn person, so I will do my best to sit still through a movie so I can devour politely eat my giant bucket that I purchase every year (The tradition started when my best friend bought it as a gift for me.  Do I have the best best friend ever, or what?).  I mean, a movie is something so simple and easy to stop and do, and if we can't do that, then we have problems.

5.  Get the house so clean that we can stay in bed all day.
This one Robert is going to have a problem with, but a girl can dream.  The house being actually so clean that I don't have to clean it on the weekends is something that I can only wish for upon a star, because I live with a really messy man.  But maybe, just maybe, one day, on a weekend, the house will be so clean, and he will have helped out during the week (there's a lump in my throat just thinking of the idea), that we will be able to lounge around all day and do nothing but eat junk food and watch sports and silly movies.

6.  Work out together.
This speaks for itself.  We worked out one time, and he couldn't even speak to tell me how made he was with me when it was over.  I guess we will need to find something other than my boxing gym.

7.  Go for a stroll, with the dog, downtown.
Most people don't want to include their "children" when spending time with their significant other, but I don't think Robert and I could do anything without our "child".  It's sad, but we both have some separation anxiety.  We live in Knoxville, which is one of the most dog-friendly cities in the country, and sometimes just taking a stroll downtown, followed by eating outside at a yummy local restaurant makes for a great date.  Plus, it makes Charlie a very happy dog.

8.  Let Robert pick a date.
This speaks for itself and makes me very nervous.

9.  Let Robert choose a destination.
This also speaks for itself and makes me very nervous.  I would need to approve the hotel.

10.  Grill out and go to bed early.
For some reason, this just sounds so appealing, and it's something we never do together.  Last summer Robert grilled out while I cooked in the kitchen, but that stopped when he started working so much.  As far as going to bed early, I'm usually out by 9 while he doesn't even get home until 11 or 12 every night.  It would be nice to just crash together around 10 and then wake up early, refreshed and ready to conquer the day.

These ideas just came off the top of my head.  I'd love suggestions and more ideas!  Maybe I'll try them out!  xoxo Courtney

the power of sea salt

Brace yourselves.  I'm about to go off on how much I love sea salt.  I'm not a fan of eating salt, unless it's on some McDonald's french fries, in which case I can go to town on some salt, but I am a fan of using salt on my body.  Actually, I am a fan of using it all over my body.

I have weird, sensitive skin and autoimmune disorders associated with it (no, not psoriasis, even weirder ones), so I have to be careful what I put on my body.  When I shave, I almost certainly will get bumps on my legs, no matter how much shaving cream, coconut oil, or steam I use.  My scalp is going to itch from the shampoo regardless of the brand, cost, or scent (or lack-thereof).  I might as well not even try to use soap in the folds of my skin, because they will scream at me the next day.

All of this changed when I discovered sea salt.  I now use it for literally everything in the shower.  I scrub it on my legs after shaving and prevent razor burn, I scrub it on my scalp after shampoo and have an amazing head of hair afterward, along with a squeaky-clean scalp. And I scrub it on my body when I need to exfoliate and let it work it's magic.  I use it straight from the jar, which I keep in the shower, and let it burn as I rub it in.  Then I rinse it down the drain and admire my smooth and silky skin/hair.  I feel like I've discovered some secret wonder of the earth or something, but really it's just plain 'ol sea salt that you buy at the grocery.  Sometimes I use course salt, and sometimes I use fine salt, I don't even have a preference.

If you have skin troubles or are just looking for a natural, healthy way to good skin, I recommend trying sea salt and adding it to your daily routine.  Let me know how you like it in the comments below!  xoxo Courtney

why i decided to declutter

1. It feels amazing.

I can't describe the feeling I have knowing that I have rid my have of over 6 human-sized Rubbermaid totes containing clothes, trinkets, and junk. When I come home from work, my house looks clean, and I have a place for all of my bags, keys, and papers. It's such a great feeling.  I'm sure if I felt like researching, I'd find some article on cleaning and endorphins or something, because I actually feel high at the end of time spent decluttering. I have such an easier time with organizing when there are fewer objects, and it's less stressful to choose from objects when there aren't that many there. I am so much happier on my journey to a minimalist.

2. My boyfriend can't make as many messes.

Without as much junk around the house, he can't leave as much lying around, which leaves less for me to pick up. I yell less, and everyone is happier. Plus, there is more room for every item to have a designated space, so he has no excuse to not put something back.

3. Organizing has become a breeze.

As mentioned above, everything now has a place in our house. It is so easy to find everything and keep everything clean and picked up. Our cabinets and drawers have stayed neater, and even the fridge looks better.

4. You'll lose weight.

Literally.  Maybe not from your body, but your figuratively getting rid of extra baggage and poundage that you don't want, and that can cause a lot of stress. Over time this builds up and becomes incredibly overwhelming. I found I was more unhappy and depressed in a junky house, and maybe it was just coincidental timing, but I've lost 12 pounds off my body since I started decluttering my house. Clutter can play mental games with a person. It can impact your life. Be honest with yourself and let it go!

5. You are helping someone else (or making some money).

When I finished cleaning out my clothes, I had three large containers, like the largest containers they make. These were really nice clothes, y'all. I had Coach purses with tags, Sperry shoes worn once, and boutique dresses with less than one wear out of them. I could have easily sold what I had and made a good couple of hundred bucks, but a lack of time and energy, coupled with the pressing feeling too make a tithe, sent me to my local thrift store, and it felt great to bless so many people that way.  

Can you guys think of any other reasons to declutter?  I swear I have never been so happy as I have been since I have started trying to be more minimal in my life.  How has decluttering helped you?  xoxo Courtney

diy hexagon shelves

A few months back, I found some shelves on sale for $6.00 at Hobby Lobby.  Of course I couldn't resist because they were Hexagon and raw wood, so I knew I would be able to do anything I wanted with them, plus they were only $6.00, so I had to buy them!  I sat on them for a while, until this morning when I painted all three of them and finally hung them in my living room.  I'm so glad I did.  I love the way they look and how simple they are, yet how much they add to the walls.  I painted them gold and then decided to dab on a little glitter, which I think looks clunky up close, but from far away looks amazing.  I am so excited about them!  Basically all I used was some acrylic gold paint, some gold glitter, a paint brush, three wood hexagon blocks, and some nails to hang them, which all totaled me around $25.00.  What I got was the end result below.

I would say it will be worth the $25.00 once I fix the one shelf that's a little crooked.  I think I am going to leave them empty and use them as art rather than have them function as actual shelves because I like the way they look so much.  What do you guys think?  xoxo Courtney

printables

I've made some new printables for you guys to enjoy!  Don't forget to check out all of my prints available for sale in my Etsy shwww.etsy.com/shop/peggyandchuckop!

Download "Glitters"

Download "Hello Gorgeous"

Download "Hello"

Download "Jesus Loves Me"

Download "Lovely"

Download "Perfection"

Download "The Luckiest"

Enjoy! xoxo Courtney

New Printables!

I was bored last night, so I made some printables for you all.  The best part about them is... they are free!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I am (I've gotten like no sleep, though, so they could be the ugliest things in the world and my mind is just telling me they're adorable.  If this is the case, I'm going to need you to comment below and let me know.).  Feel free to share, but please only use for personal use!

Download Bedtime Party

Download Let's Do This

Download His Money

Download Groove

I have to admit, I'm becoming more and more into nudes.  No, not naked people (that thought just creeps me out - I hate the naked body), but nude color, or lack-thereof.  I'm especially digging it on nails this season.  I'm typically over-the-top and in-your-face (if you couldn't tell), but there is something that speaks volumes about something so basic.  A nude nail just screams class, style, and sophistication to me.  I'm thinking this is going to have to be my next Jamberry order.  To know that I could get this for $3.75 a manicure and know that it will last for weeks makes me love it even more.

How do you feel about nude nails?

doing things for me

I needed to make this this week. I've been so wrapped up in work and boyfriend and dog and everyone else, that I've not been practicing my own self-care, and it's really beaten me up. Here's to being a little bit selfish!

a bag in a frame

I have to admit, I like to think of myself as a pretty awesome decorator.  My dad is an architect, and my mom is like the go-to home stylist amongst her friends, so it kinda just runs in my blood.  I don't really have one style, I'm more eclectic and my house looks like a hodgepodge of goods, but I like what I have going on.  My decor is important to me, and impressing my guests matters, in some weird, non-vain way.

If you've been following, I'm trying to downsize and become a minimalist.  This means that the long shelf hanging above my couch (the shelf that I built and painted, thank you very much), had to be cleared of the clutter-that-actually-had-a-purpose and stocked with a few choice items that give it a chic and "grown-up" vibe.  My choices?  A canvas painting with pastel colors, a small frame of my sister's high school graduation picture, a vase with ceramic flowers, a picture of my dad, a vintage camera, a unicorn piggy bank (could you get anymore grown-up?) and a framed gift bag.

Yes, you heard me, a framed gift bag.  A gift bag from Target.  A fabulous gift bag from the Spritz collection.  The idea came from my mom, who decorated my college dorm with some wrapping paper she found.  It looked so perfect hanging on the wall with my pictures from home covering it.  So, when I saw that bag, I knew it was way too pretty to give to any of my friends (love you guys), and instead, I went immediately to the closest Homegoods and found a gold frame on clearance.  The total cost was around $18 for the frame and bag.  Yeah, just $18, and it seriously looks like a million bucks.  It looks so much better than having a bunch of mismatched art and goodies hanging out on a shelf.  I love all of my art and goodies, but I love the idea of having one statement piece even more, and the fact that it was a cheap statement piece makes it even better.

A blurry before photo... there's so much going on!

It's a crude photo, but you get the idea.  Don't you just love my dad in the middle?

What do you guys think?  Are you as excited about this as I am?  Oh, and please excuse the vent in the ceiling.  I rent, so I can't do much to change that.

prints now in the etsy shop

I am so excited to announce that Peggy & Chuck has started to sell my art prints.  I love photography and have not had the time to play with it lately like I have wanted to, but I still want to share my old work, so I've decided to expand my brand to include prints.  I am so thrilled to be able to do this and hope you guys love them as much as I do!  Here's a sneak peak:

      

      

You can click the pictures to take you directly to the checkout pages, or you can go to my shop here.  Remember to you the links to the right to like us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what's going on!

twiggy needs a sandwich

This is one of my most favorite creations, entitled Twiggy Needs a Sandwich.  You can find this, and other unique pillow covers, including custom designs, at my Etsy shop.

bath time

My favorite time of the week has become bath time with Charlie.  I hate the actual bath part because he likes to make it as punishing as he can for me, but when the torture is all over, and I've dried him off as much as he'll let me (we're still working on using a hairdryer), he has developed a habit of wanting to bundle up and snuggle with me, either on the couch or in bed.  I usually try to plan so that I can take a nap after bath, mostly because I'm exhausted after the amount of energy it takes just to hold him still, and we cuddle up together and fall asleep to the TV.

It's the most precious and intimate time we spend together.  We are usually both so traumatized that it's a nice way of calming ourselves down and reconnecting so that we don't hate each other after what we previously experienced.  He has a special yellow blanket that we call the "burrito", and he likes to be swaddled completely, nice and snug.  Then, I have to cradle him like a baby, and he will fall sound asleep.  He's very peculiar about how I hold him, and he is not comfortable with anyone else performing this tradition - it has to be his mom.  Of course I love to rub this in my boyfriend's face and gloat about it whenever I can, but it really is so special to me and melts my stone-cold heart.

Do you guys have any weird/special customs that you share with your pets?

His snout looks so long.

it's time to declutter

I have to admit, sometimes I can't make it through an episode of Hoarders without vomiting.  Other times, I feel like my house could have its own episode.  I'm diagnosed OCD, and most people think that just means I super organized and clean all the time.  In reality, my struggle with the disorder includes a lot of compulsive shopping (and not the kind where women sit around a cafe table and joke about their compulsive shopping habits), which makes for having your house super organized a hard goal to meet.  This leads to my anxiety levels shooting through the roof, which leads to me compulsively eating (again, not like the kind women sit and talk about around a cafe table), which makes me need new pants, which gets me right back to the shopping.  It's a disaster, if you think about it.

Thankfully, I have a wonderful psychiatrist.  Yes, the "p" word.  Well, the other "p" word.  The "p" word that actually sounds like it starts with an "s" because the English language is awesome like that.  My psychiatrist realized what was going on and found the right medication and therapy, and along with a little self-awareness, I've been able to get control of all of most of some of my issues.  With this new-found realization of what's going on, I now have more of a desire to be more organized and more of a desire to minimize the amount of "stuff" that is in my home.  I'm sure that my house isn't near as bad as I'm making it out to be, but I just really do not see a purpose in having so many "things" anymore.  I'm also starting to realize that having all of said "things" just gives my boyfriend that many more opportunities to make a mess.

I'm a Pinterest fanatic (check out my Pinterest here!), and I have become more and more inspired by the fresh look of a white, well-lit, open space.  This is everything I want my house to look like.  Why do I need 15 picture frames on my coffee table when only half of them have pictures in them?  I'm learning the less things I have, the cleaner everything looks, and I like that concept.  I mean, there are some people who can fit their entire lives in one room, while I couldn't squeeze my belongings into a 2b/2ba townhome with an attic.  I'm only 29, guys; I shouldn't own that much!

This living space is gorgeous - and everything fits in one room!

So, over the next few months, I'm probably going to be detailing my struggles as I am downsizing.  Luckily, the thought of having a clean and organized space is much stronger than the desire to hold on to useless items, so hopefully it won't be too hard.  I'm not going to promise I will make everything fit in a loft - I happen to like my townhome - but I'll do my best to clean house, literally.  I'll post pictures as I go room by room, if my OCD will allow me to let you guys see my house in disarray.

the true blogger in me

I am, by nature, a creative person.  I like to start things and never finish them make things.  It's always been a dream of mine to have a blog and be the Martha Stewart of the internet, portraying this perfect life with my perfect creations to a group of jealous followers who totally want to be me, and I've totally tried having blogs like that.  They usually last for a month or two, and I get bored or frustrated and give up or forget and let something else take their place and go about my life as if they never existed.  But the itch to have a blog never went away, it's just I think I was trying to create a blog that wasn't real to me.

I'm nowhere near perfect, and if you know me in real life, you will know that's definitely true.  I get myself in hot water more often than not by just slightly opening my mouth.  My fingers can type something offensive before my brain will even process what is being said.  I have no problem admitting any of this to my family and friends, so I don't know why I wanted to be something I wasn't on the internet.  That's kind of creepy anyways.  I like to think I'm above average, but let's be honest, I'm probably not going to be some overnight blogging celebrity, and would I really want that?  I kind of like the life I live now.  I can be real with myself and the people (if any) who read this blog while still sharing my creations and the things I sell and the funny things that happen in my life and the crazy things my dog does and whatever else I feel needs to be shared with the world (I have no filter, so it could get messy).

My trying to represent some perfect image and leading some blog cult is really scary, now that I think about it.  I'm like barely even equipped to handle a dog and a boyfriend.  When things get bad, I just curl up in a ball and start crying until my boyfriend is forced to call my mom to handle things.  And I want to be some blogging goddess?  I should probably just stick to being myself - a goofball who occasionally has some good ideas and knows who she is and isn't afraid to show it.  Why would I want to hide that behind my computer?  I'm creative and smart and talented, and sometimes I can even be funny!  I think you guys would like me.  I'm going to give this blogging thing a try and not have any expectations of myself.  I'm doing this for me and not anyone else.

Oh, by the way, I sell Jamberry and have an Etsy shop.  You guys should totally be my customers.

Have you ever had one of those days where you just felt like a disappointment to everyone?  They tend to creep up on my ever so often, and they can be really overpowering.  I have always wanted to be someone of importance to God, and I have in my mind that if there were ever a Bible: Part II, I would want a starring role; however, I'm starting to learn that God doesn't necessarily use people that way.  I may feel like I don't have a starring role in the grand scheme of things, but I'm huge in God's plan.  And even when I feel like a giant turd, whatever screw-ups I've made are just a part of the journey to God's final destination for me.  I love that all of the Bible's heroes, other than Jesus, of course, were sinners, and the Bible does not hesitate to let us know that.  It's truly inspiring that God can use my mistakes.  It makes me feel a little more comforted and a lot more special.