tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49993586598593672962015-09-08T22:04:51.948-07:00west coast southernraising southern gentlemen on the west coastStephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.comBlogger565125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-54314012197045112902015-09-08T12:05:00.000-07:002015-09-08T20:23:56.020-07:00He's living in a box...He's living in a cardboard box.
You have goals as a family. You set expectations for your children. You hope that they will make the right choices and decisions based on examples that you've set. But for all of those goals and expectations and examples, let's face it, raising children is a crap shoot. It's hard. No matter how many books or blogs you read, you never really get it right. You get close, but never 100%. You never Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-38244378795383828522015-07-13T19:10:00.000-07:002015-09-08T20:24:12.942-07:00the one where i talk about falllen heroes
Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird” CreditUniversal Studios
When the news broke about Bill Cosby drugging women, I kept trying to ignore what I was hearing. If it came on the television news I wouldn't watch it. If I came across a news article online, I wouldn't read it. How could it possibly be true? Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable would never do such a thing! Well, maybe Dr.Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-60908153493976834792015-07-09T07:22:00.000-07:002015-07-09T07:22:23.066-07:00the one where i talk about why i would buy this book just for the cover
I almost bought this book just for the cover. Wouldn't you?
I have a serious book buying problem. It's bad. You know how most people make new year's resolutions about losing weight or forgiving someone or stopping smoking? Well, every new year I make a silent promise to myself:
I will not buy any new books until I read all of the books I already own.
And then I walk into an indie Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-52517363195990357722015-07-08T13:21:00.000-07:002015-09-08T19:51:18.933-07:00creativity, pod casts, and fears
I am what you call a person with good intensions and no follow through. I said that I wanted to start writing again. I said that it was important to me and that I would make time for it in my daily routine. But I haven't. I've had lots of thoughts and ideas that I want to write about:
Why do so many people open their mouths when taking a selfie? Do we look better with our mouths open? Does Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-65948478585381130032015-06-12T10:14:00.001-07:002015-09-08T19:21:39.165-07:00Judy Blume told me to do it.
I don't know why I stopped writing. Okay, that's not true. I do know why.
I stopped writing because I thought no one cared. I was writing with the hopes of always having someone say, "I loved what you wrote yesterday!" That hardly ever happened. Did they think it? Maybe. How often do you read something and reach out to the author and let them know how much you loved what they wrote? Yeah, Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-66044491013574335582014-04-07T08:32:00.001-07:002014-04-07T08:33:34.092-07:00weighy issues: finished but not done
I finished the Whole 30 program almost a week ago...but I am far from done.
Hitting Day 31 was very...anticlimactic. My friend, who started this program before me and encouraged me every step of the way, had told me that her Day 31 was very anticlimactic for her. This made me sad to hear. You work so hard to make it through those 30 days and finally crossing that finish line is a big deal.
Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-12332099689313128102014-03-27T13:51:00.002-07:002014-03-27T13:51:33.152-07:00weighty issues: Whole 30 is making me a better cook.
I'm a good cook. Just ask the Golfer. He'll be the first one to tell you what a good cook his wife is. I come from a long line of good cooks, so it stands to reason that I would be pretty good at it too.
Whole 30 is making me a BETTER cook.
Why better? Because it is forcing me out of my comfort zone. It is forcing me to try lots and lots of new recipes. In the last 26 days, I've had to Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-23103049670560138742014-03-25T12:34:00.006-07:002014-03-25T12:34:59.445-07:00weighty issues: winning.
Today is Day 24. This time next week, I will be on Day 31. You thought Whole 30 was only for 30 days? Yes it is. But I have seen so much improvement in so many areas on my life, Whole 30 isn't stopping for me.
Last week, a switch was flipped. I've been waiting for that switch flipping for YEARS. I've prayed and prayed for God to help me with my food issues, to guide me to what I needed to Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-37693844839932130472014-03-20T13:44:00.001-07:002015-09-08T19:40:46.825-07:00lola lane: formal living, study, and all things eclectic
My design for this house was simple. Almost too simple. So simple that I was afraid that I was entering the "stark and boring" zone of decorating. But I knew the look that I wanted and it required simple.
Eclectic is the best way to describe my decorating style. It's a miss-match. It's putting my favorite things together and making them work. Nowhere is my eclectic style more Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-84952397309534784462014-03-19T08:29:00.001-07:002014-03-19T13:10:28.542-07:00weighty issues: scumming to soy beans
breakfast that's delicious and nutritious
Technically, I have fallen off the Whole 30 wagon. I say "technically" because the things I ate are not on the "yes" list for the Whole 30 wagon because they can possibly cause some people issues. What did I eat? A few soy beans and a little quinoa.
Yeah, I'm not concerned.
This weekend I avoided Hot Tamales, Twizzlers, and chocolate cupcakes, but IStephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-47484092126658340452014-03-13T11:58:00.001-07:002015-09-08T19:42:31.396-07:00lola lane: back to the remodel
demo is always fun, especially when you're an eleven year old boy who is handed a hammer and told it's okay to punch a hole in the wall.
As much as I'm sure you have loved hearing all about my Whole 30 adventures (Day 12, by the way) I know a lot of you are anxious for me to show more pictures of our recent home remodel.
So much was done in such a crazy, short about of time (emphasis on the Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-29953221660032483372014-03-11T11:09:00.003-07:002014-03-11T11:59:20.022-07:00weighty issues: Day 10 or 1/3 of the way there
At least it's a beautiful way to get your exercise.
I didn't blog yesterday and I was worried. "What if they think I have fallen off of the wagon?!?" I was in the middle of hiking 5.78 miles and hating myself with every step for being so out of shape. But I was thinking about ya'll as I was doing it. "They are going to think I didn't make it through the weekend!"
Yes, these posts have been aStephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-832245871050436562014-03-07T10:32:00.002-08:002014-03-07T11:02:37.501-08:00weighty issues: little victories
the Sugar Demon staring me in the face at target yesterday
Day 6: I'm impressed with myself.
Full disclosure. I have NEVER made it this far with any kind of diet or "lifestyle change" involving food. Ever. By now I have always caved in. Given up. Succumbed to my desire for all things sugar related. Six days might not be long to some people, but for me this is a total victory.
Each baby Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-39137893920288308252014-03-05T11:36:00.001-08:002014-03-05T12:08:13.273-08:00weighty issues: I gave up EVERYTHING for Lent
Day 4: I feel hungover. The Whole 30 encouragement emails that I get daily said this would happen. My body is mad at me. It's yelling at me.
Where is my sugar? Where's the yogurt and toast and orange juice for breakfast? Where's my sandwich and chips at lunch? Where's my pasta heavy casserole at dinner? And where in the HELL are my cookies and ice cream?!?!
Due to my body beingStephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-56033695251425332292014-03-04T10:01:00.000-08:002014-03-04T14:53:40.422-08:00weighty issues: How the Whole 30 am I doing?
photo courtesy of whole 9
Day 1: This is gonna suck.
Day 2: Okay, this isn't so terrible.
Day 3: I can do this! I'm tired and have zero energy, but I CAN do this!
Why the change in attitude? Why so positive so fast? Social media. And to think, I almost gave up social media.
Recently, I read this post and this post about the negative effects that social media can have on a person. I Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-43889114003319591202014-03-03T10:55:00.001-08:002014-03-03T12:36:24.886-08:00weighty issues: the Freemans go Whole 30
Yesterday was Day 1. Day 1 of 30. The Whole 30. The Golfer and I are doing the
program together. Late last summer I attempted to go Paleo (animal and vegetable only diet.) I didn't last very long. By September, I had chucked my new friend Paleo out the window in favor of a good margarita and some chocolate cake.
For the last 6 months I've been saying, "As soon as the move is over I'm going Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-43190248289366877062014-02-25T14:32:00.001-08:002015-09-08T19:42:45.218-07:00The BEFORE pics.You know those 10 days we had to get our long remodeling list done before moving? Yeah, that didn't happen.
We all knew it wouldn't. But my mantra of, "Paint and floors. Paint and floors. Just complete the paint and floors" continued. We had accepted that we would be moving into construction. Not the ideal way you want to move into a new house, but we had no other choice.
Thanks to the Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-52526382789277797052014-02-19T11:57:00.003-08:002015-09-08T19:43:03.075-07:00HGTV should give us our own show.
We were excited to get our hands on our new house. We had plenty of time before closing to plan our remodel. Could we have moved straight in? Sure. Did it need a bunch of work. Not really. But, like I've said before, we like to make things our own. On Saturday mornings we watch "Kitchen Crashers" and "Bathroom Crashers" and "Yard Crashers" while we eat our waffles. The Property Brothers have Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-9703883882640342182014-02-18T13:07:00.002-08:002015-09-08T19:38:33.942-07:00Take a Trip Tuesday: Seattle
It's Take a Trip Tuesday!
I just made that up.
Here's the reason: We've been blessed to be able to take some great trips, and before every vacation I am on my computer for hours doing research. Other blogs, Pinterest, I'm all over it because I am a planner. I like a good plan. I want to hit the ground running, and I want to know exactly where I am running to. Spontaneous is not a word in my Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-21553867711122354812014-02-17T10:17:00.002-08:002015-09-08T19:43:13.910-07:00Why move?"Why on earth would you move when you have a perfectly fine house that you've worked so hard on?"
That was a question that we were asked over and over again when we announced that we were moving. It wasn't always in those exact words, but some variation of "Are you crazy?" Truthfully, we weren't looking to move. The house we were living in was great, but we knew that it wasn't our forever homeStephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-17907514818531929572014-02-14T12:42:00.001-08:002015-09-08T19:43:24.525-07:00Old House Love
:: Lola Lane ::
There's a blog I have followed for a while titled Young House Love. It's all about this young couple and their adventures in remodeling their homes themselves. The Golfer and I have been doing the exact same thing for the last 13 years. We just didn't blog all about it. Or get a book deal out of it. Or our own line of light fixtures because of it. But we totally could have. Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-81497342593351013562013-08-02T11:31:00.000-07:002013-08-02T11:31:25.139-07:00The guys on the right with the banana is my favorite. Happy Friday.Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-83781657629817236102013-07-31T04:00:00.000-07:002013-07-31T08:59:33.062-07:00I needed this after yesterday's post. Enjoy. Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-67193640303819077932013-07-30T11:28:00.000-07:002013-07-30T11:40:06.680-07:00weighty issues: "Losing weight is just hard."If you remember from some of my previous posts, I've been waiting several weeks to see my regular doctor to get my lab work done that the naturopathic doctor requested. Walking into the appointment I knew that it was risky; knew that there was a good chance that the doctor wouldn't order all of the tests that the naturopath was wanting. What I didn't expect was to leave the appointment Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4999358659859367296.post-51445317095728372832013-07-22T17:08:00.000-07:002013-07-22T17:31:47.193-07:00weighty issues: pathetic at week three
Blah.
So today is the start of week three of my new...healthy...lifestyle. I pause between between each word to try and show my lack of enthusiasm.
Did it work?
I wish I could start this post by telling you HOW AWESOME everything is. But I can't. I can't because right now in this moment I don't feel awesome. It's hard to feel awesome when you get on the scale after two weeks with no Stephenie Freemanhttps://plus.google.com/109577570008266887143noreply@blogger.com2