Why Do You Look for the Living Among the Dead?

He is not here, He has risen!

Easter is one of my favorite times of the year, it signifies so many things to me. I love celebrating the resurrection of our precious Saviour and spending time with my family. It's such a sweet time, new beginnings of Spring and everything is fresh and new. It also gives me a chance to reflect on all of my many blessings, especially since Christ's sacrifice is so evident. He gave it all so that I may live life more abundantly and so that I may enjoy all of the things that he has provided me with-I'm a blessed girl.

It's so funny to me now, where I was one year ago.

Christopher and I had really just started seeing each other, but now I am so happy to say that I'm happier than ever. 

And we've changed just a little. 

It was wonderful to go to Easter church services with my boyfriend, parents, sister, and sweet niece and nephew.

Plus, how often do we get together in nice clothes and take real pictures-hardly ever. 

By the way, check out my parents-they've been together forever and they're still so in love. That's what I want for my future. 

I had missed my little munchkins too-I think Lola missed her uncle Chris more than me though!

  

Just look at that face!

And I always have to grab a quick picture with my Daddy, such a Daddy's-Girl.

But then when I was going through pictures and saw the one of Daddy & Christopher I was like...wait. He's not smiling in the picture with me but look at this one. 

THEY'RE BOTH SMILING. WHAT??

Of course they are. 

Besides all of the non-smiling, it was a great Easter full of family time and just enjoying the beautiful day. 

Chris and Bullet enjoyed a little nap time on the dock at our pond...

before Chris was reeling in the big one!

Just kidding, he caught a Christmas tree. I wish y'all could see the video, but apparently you can't rotate videos on my computer-so I didn't post it because I didn't want y'all breaking your necks while you were dying laughing at him. 

It was a really great day, lots of memories were made.  

Until next Easter, 

-jordyn 

ACCESS Limited Cover: Review

Around the end of March I was approached by a company; Agri-Cover to test out one of their products and I was more than willing to try it out. Their company has been so kind and helpful throughout the entire process, plus we both are passionate about trucks-why on Earth would I say no??

After a lot of measuring to ensure a perfect fit, they sent me the ACCESS Limited Cover and I was so excited to get it installed. 

Unfortunately school and the wet, rainy, cold Alabama weather got in the way. But...one sunny Sunday afternoon, my sweet Daddy and Mama got to work and installed it!

The install wasn't bad at all; and it's even easier when you go watch the videos that they put up on their website. I'm serious when I say that this company has THE BEST customer service of any company that I've ever dealt with. 

Click here for the video for the ACCESS Limited Edition Roll-up Cover

And not only did this great company send the cover to be tested, but they also sent me a EZ Retriever II as well as a Battery Light. These tools are extremely helpful with or without the cover. For example, the battery light is a great addition to my toolbox, when I need to reach in and find something after the sun has gone down. And that EZ retriever? It's perfection. I'm on the shorter side so I'm forever having to crawl into the bed of my truck to grab things that have fallen all the way to the back of the truck bed, up under my toolbox on my truck or simply if the cover is down on the red truck, it makes it a breeze to reach back and grab whatever you need. 

If you don't need a cover at this point in time, but just want to take advantage of their accessories, they have a package for that on their site (although the LED light that is included in this pack is not the battery light that they sent me)  Click here for the link to that!

And here is a link for the install of the battery light. =)

I wanted to take my time to fully test out this cover before reviewing it and I have to say, it's lived up to all of my expectations and more. This is the truck that my dad primarily has been using for work here lately, and although he was somewhat hesitant about the look of the cover, he was immediately won over by it's sleek, streamlined look. It doesn't even inhibit his work, because of it's roll-back feature. 

I was impressed with it's ability to keep water, dust, etc. off of anything that I decided to haul. 

It's such a sturdy set-up, it's hard not to appreciate it. 

Here you can see the cover in action in this messy Alabama spring weather. 

I wish I had thought to pull down the tailgate and show you just how dry it actually is under there; 

that just goes to show you how versatile this cover really is. It's not just for guys looking to keep their tools dry or whatever. 

It's for the mom who drives a truck and has kids in the backseat and needs somewhere secure to store her groceries, it's for the college student (me!) who needs a place to keep all of her luggage dry and secure on the way to a vacation when the cab is full of all of her friends, it's for the farmer who does need that coverage for his tools, bags of feed, etc. This cover is for anyone and it's well worth the money. 

If you have any questions about the Agri-Cover, email me at JordynReneeBrown@gmail.com and I'll be glad to discuss it with you and you can always visit their site here. Their contact information is located on their page-and like I said, they're always more than willing to help in any way that they can!

Thank y'all so much for giving me the opportunity to test out this amazing product!

Lastly, don't forget to go follow them on twitter @Agricover and "Like" them on Facebook under ACCESS Cover-they're always doing awesome giveaways, so definitely go check that out!

Until next time...bye y'all!

-jordyn 

DIY Chevrons & Monograms

 Today, we're going to talk about two of my most favorite things in life...chevron print and monograms. 

In 2012, I discovered the beauty of crafting for gifts. I determined that this was the way to go when making a house-warming gift for my sweet friend Jasie.

Essentially, I took her favorite colors and her monogram and turned it into this....

((Pardon that being taken from instagram, I forgot to crop it before I uploaded it!))

I LOVED how it turned out and it quickly became a habit to turn them out as presents. 

My friends Gloria and Katie got theirs done in their school colors...

I had really not been doing much crafting until it was time for Christmas 2013, when I decided to try my hand at it again. Now, I'm going to walk you through the process so that you can do it too!

Step One: Head to your local craft store; I love my Hobby Lobby, and grab a canvas the size of your choice, wooden letters for their name/monogram, three colors of acrylic paint (just be sure that it's relatively thick paint or you'll be doing tons of coats!), ribbon, paint brushes, hot glue/glue gun, and any other embellishments you want to add...I always  add spray glitter as a finishing touch to mine!

Step Two: It's SO important that you take the time to measure out the lines for your chevron print. Depending on the size of your canvas, this can vary. I would suggest using this tutorial from Pinterest, although I would suggest not using the tape...I never do because it makes it difficult to do two colors! 

Step Three: Since you've chosen your paints...now grab a ton of newspaper and spread it out, choose your paints and squirt a little of your first color onto a paper plate and carefully began painting every other line your chosen color. I usually use a small paint brush for the edges and then a foam brush for the insides. Plan on doing at least two coats. 

Wait for the first color to dry and then paint the second set of lines. Wait for those to dry and then do a second coat of both if you so choose. 

Step Four: Now that you have finished the difficult part...paint your letters your chosen color. Then, after they have had ample time to dry space them out evenly onto the canvas and glue them into place using the hot glue gun. 

 Step Four: After the glue on the letters has dried, measure out your ribbon (used to hang the canvas on the wall), then glue the ends of the ribbons onto the back-corners of the canvas. 

Then you're finished! 

Here are examples of some of the other monogrammed chevron canvases that I have done...

And just another small project that I'll share with you...

I wanted to make something special for Mrs. Debbie Upchurch for Christmas, so I decided to DIY her gift as well!

I thought that a door hanger would be perfect for her, but I have never tried my hand at wreaths...so I decided to paint her a letter to hang on the door to their home. 

Her "U" was painted red with just a foam brush. 

I added a simple burlap ribbon with a chevron print on it to finish it up, I think she really liked it! 

That's my first DIY post and I hope y'all enjoyed it. 

If you're interested in purchasing any of the products that I have posted here today, you're more than welcome to send me an email at JordynReneeBrown@gmail.com and I'll help you out in any way that I can! 

Keep watching in the next few days...I have several posts that should be really exciting, so...

Until next time, 

-Jordyn

More To Look Forward To

Y'all, school has been kickin' my butt towards the end of this semester. 

I've got a ton of things to update on this blog; I've got some DIY stuff coming, recipes, updates on life in general, and reviews on some amazing products that I've been testing out...as soon as finals are over next week!

I also have the AECTP (which is basically my last hurdle before being admitted into the College of Education and Professional Studies at Jacksonville State University) on Saturday, so after all of those things are done with then I'll finally be done until the Fall and I'll be able to concentrate on blogging and all that-well, when Christopher isn't keeping me super busy!

I guess most of y'all have noticed that I changed my blog's name. And before any gossip starts (which I'm sure it will, but that's what small towns are for...am I right?), Christopher and I are just fine! I just thought the blog name sounded a little silly and I wanted something a little more appropriate. Plus, I'm thinking that once Chris comes up with a permanent name for his farm I'll probably change my blog to that. And I'm trying to talk my Mama into starting a blog, so I'm basically holding this name for her (wink, wink Mama).

See, we're just fine. This picture was taken last night on our Friday night date night to Oxford. 

On second thought...maybe I should've picked one where he didn't look so annoyed! 

I know this is short and it doesn't have a lot of pictures but I just wanted to update everyone and let y'all know that I haven't forgotten about this blog...I'll definitely be back soon with a ton of new stuff-you won't even realize it's the same blog!

XOXO, jordyn  

The Rainbow Bridge

I'm not sure if y'all have heard of the poem, "The Rainbow Bridge", so I'll post it for you here...

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. 

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. 
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. 
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. 
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart. 
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together...

Yeah, it makes me cry too. 
I've been doing a lot of that in the past two weeks, since we lost our sweet Border Collie, Jake.

We miss our boy, but I'm so thankful for the time we got to spend with him. 

I'll never forget the day I went to the shelter to pick out the two dogs we were going to bring home...Jake wasn't even on my radar. It just seemed like he picked me. 

I'm a huge advocate of going to the animal shelter to pick out your next pet, I know Jake and Bullet have been two of the biggest blessings in my life. 

-Jordyn 

Spring Is In The Air

I don't know about y'all, but it's been a long winter. 

This weekend was just what I needed to get out of that cold-weather funk. 

Thursday, I had three tests in three classes...but as soon as they were all over I met up with my sweet best friend, Courtney. We did a little shopping at a local boutique-Swank and had yummy cupcakes at the Mad Hatter. It was perfect. 

Friday evening I headed to Auburn to meet up with my friend Gloria, we went to Cheeburger Cheeburger for dinner and then went to hear one of my favorite bands, The Lacs, at Bourbon Street Bar. It  was such a great night!

I would've rather had been with Christopher-but he was selling chickens both Thursday and Friday. We made up for it on Saturday with dinner with our friends Paige and Kane and then grocery shopping. We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants-Outback-and found out that the 24th was their last day open. So sad! We loved that place!

Sunday afternoon (today) was perfect. The weather was amazing and it definitely gave me spring fever. 

We started our day off with church, then hung out around the house for a while.

Then we decided to check out my dad's new purchase...

He bought the poultry farm across the road from our property now..

Lazy B Farm!

It's been my dad's dream for a while and I'm so proud of all that he's done in preparation for this. This is such a great addition to everything that he has worked so hard for!

((I guess this blog could almost be Confessions of a Farmers Daughter!))

The property is gorgeous, I can definitely envision some summer days and summer nights here in the future. 

Chris and I went to explore it today with my parents and our dogs, Bullet and Jake. It was such a fun afternoon. 

You can tell the boys loved it!

These guys loved it too ;)

I even got dad and mom to pose for a couple of pictures. 

It was such a wonderful afternoon, I was so glad to be able to spend it with this sweet boy. I wouldn't rather have anyone else by my side. 

Here's to a full week of school-I have a big test in my Age of Cold War class as well as my English Competency Exam (which decides whether I'll be able to graduate from JSU eventually or not), prayers would be appreciated! 

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

-jordyn 

Snow and Bows

Y'all this past week has been literally the most exciting week of 2014 so far. 

Tuesday started out as any normal day...I got up, got ready for school, ate breakfast, and drove to Stone Center for my first two classes just like any other day. 

During my first class I looked out the window and realized it was kinda snowing....and by kinda, I mean snowing really hard. 

 But my professor just kept on teaching and so when I headed to my second class I didn't really think anything about it. My next professor, Dr. Cook, let us take our quiz and leave as soon as that was over, even though Jacksonville State hadn't officially canceled classes I headed to my truck. 

Needless to say, I was less than thrilled when I got to the parking lot and discovered that there was no way I was getting back to Clay County, not Tuesday anyways. 

It took me about an hour to get from Stone Center to my apartment (which is normally only like an eight minute drive). It was really slippery, but thank goodness for my four-wheel drive! 

Since I couldn't come home (even though I really wanted to) I spent my afternoon watching Netflix and making snow cream, which was totally the only good part about this snow storm.

Wednesday morning the snow wasn't too much better, I hung out with my sweet friends Jasie, Hannah, and Marisa and spent a little more time hanging out in the snow before my sweet knights in shining armor aka my daddy and Christopher met me halfway home and rescued me!

The snow was crazy deep!

Here are some pictures of the traffic on I-20 which was just a wreck. These aren't mine (obviously) but they show the madness that ensued after this winter weather hit us. 

(By the way, I specifically did not write this blog to complain about all the Northerners who are being SO RUDE about how Alabama handled the snow storm. But, just an FYI, the South is not equipped to deal with winter weather of this magnitude because we simply don't get it enough. Plus, we weren't made aware of this in time to even be sort of prepared, which is why children were still in school when the snow came. Okay, off my soapbox now.)

When I did finally make it home then I checked on my horses and spent a little time checking on Christopher's cows. 

I'm not really sure the horses were crazy about the snow, it kept getting packed in their shoes! 

The views on Chris' land are amazing, especially in the snow. And how precious is that little calf standing on top of the hay bale! 

Can you say dangerous? This was the ice under Chris' feed bins!

All of that snow sure did make for a perfect setting though, the sunset was beautiful and I snapped this shot of Christopher's house as we were coming home, it looks like the perfect Christmas card to me. 

I'm still bitter about the fact that Chris and I didn't take a single picture in all of this snow. 

I think it's safe to say that the dogs would be happy if it snowed every single day, although after being snowed in at my apartment in Jacksonville, I probably won't be wishing for snow any time soon!

Now for the bow part....

I was recently chosen as one of Kiss My Southern Sass's 2014 sales reps! 

This company is literally amazing. All of the girls that I've met in the past few days are so perfect and I'm so excited about getting my KMSS biggie in the next few weeks!

Okay, so here's the lowdown on KMSS. 

Basically they're the company that emulates everything that a southern girl should be; classy and sassy!

They have some of the cutest stuff; anything from precious America t-shirts, coozies, shot glasses, cookie cutters (perfect for little girls that love big bows!), and the most perfect college girl essential....the Spirit Jersey!

Tell me it's not love. 

They also have stuff for big/little, so you sorority ladies definitely need to check it out. 

If y'all have any questions just make sure to shoot me an email or a comment, I'm available any time of the day for y'all. 

My email is: jaybee4au@me.com

We offer discounts on group buys, so if your entire sorority wants to order we can work that out for y'all!

P.S. If you entire this coupon code at checkout, you will get a discount no matter how many items are in your order!

Just head to www.KissMySouthernSass.com 

Enter the code: JordynBrown

And that should do it!

Go check it out and I'll owe you one =)

I'm so excited for this opportunity and I cannot wait to see where it takes me!

-Jordyn