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Southern Made Simple

Keeping things simple with a smidge of Southern charm

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southernmadesimple

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Nov 19

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I took a minute to finally sit down this evening. Life can feel like a whirlwind sometimes. And this time of year? Man, it can be so great and so tough at the same time. I just needed a minute to breathe.

And when I sat down to distract myself from being bummed by that one (or several) new gray hairs I found and the growing list of things I must do before Thanksgiving - I realized something incredible.

At some point over the weekend, my Etsy store hit 30,000 sales. The thing I created on a whim that unexpectedly changed my life. It’s still rolling. It’s still moving and grooving and I cannot believe I get to do this.

Incredibly grateful. The fact that I get to wake up every day and let my creativity be a driving force in my life is something I always dreamed of doing since childhood. I always knew I couldn’t cut it in a cubicle pushing someone else’s agenda, and I am so grateful that I don’t have to. Because people like you show up and support small businesses. That stuff changes lives.

Thank you. Times a million and one. I love you all. ❤️

southernmadesimple

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Oct 30

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Just out here saving the world & stuff 🩷💚🩵

southernmadesimple

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Oct 22

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Hi! I haven’t kept up with updating these squares. I’m still around! I mostly hang out in my stories talking about everything and nothing all at once. 

I fully expect IG to show this post to maybe 5 people, and that’s fine. Video content creation stresses me out, so I don’t do it. 🙂

So many of you started following me during my blogging days, cloth diapering days, home building days and the list goes on. Scrolling back through the years of photos on my feed is wild! 

Life update - I’m still cooking. I love it. It’s what keeps my creative wheels turning, but the freedom of not feeling like I needed to document everything and feed the IG machine has been freeing. My whole philosophy around food has changed so drastically in the last 2 years that I barely recognize the version of myself that wrote hundreds of blog posts. Maybe one day I’ll revisit blogging, but that whole space looks so insanely different today than it did 4-5 years ago, that I’m content not re-entering it. Cooking without winning the internet’s approval is pretty sweet. 

Today I run a 3D printing company. It was never on my radar, but I’m running with it. And I do love it and the freedom it gives me to be with my children more.

And speaking of children, my two girls are growing up so fast. And they’re so cool. And also a tiny bit stressful to the point that I’m turning gray but mostly amazing and beautiful and all the things. Motherhood leaves no woman as it found her. The ways it’s changed me are amazing. My husband and I also started prioritizing dating more this year, and I love it. New restaurants, catching shows, etc. I love him so. 

I also started raising chickens this year, which is honestly the plot twist my life needed. Chickens are so savage and hilarious. And they give me eggs daily, which is pretty sweet too.

Life is great so much of the time. It’s often hard, but absolutely worth living.  Now, let’s catch up! Tell me what you’re up to these days. I want to know all about it! ❤️

southernmadesimple

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Aug 20

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Tell me aliens exist without telling me aliens exist. I’ll go first! 😏 

Alien head Bogg bag charms are now walking among us in the Etsy shop! Don’t worry, they come in peace ✌🏻 👽 ❤️

#aliens #aliensexist #boggbag #boggbagcharms #bogg #boggbagaccessories #ufo #alien

southernmadesimple

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Aug 8

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Not sure how I’m old enough to have children starting 3rd grade and Kindergarten when I, myself, am just now starting my junior year of high school but okay 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

I may be 33, but it will forever be 2003 in my mind. I wore a headband on the first day because it’s cute and NOT to cover my few silver strands that are popping through. 🙂

southernmadesimple

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Aug 1

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Come thrift with me this morning!

#goodwill #thriftstore #thriftfinds #thrifting #thriftstorefinds #thriftshop #pyrex #hazelatlas

southernmadesimple

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Jul 26

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Category 5 hurricane Laken had entered the birthday chat 🎉🎉

A whole handful. The sweetest Lakey-Loo. My tiny little Laken Averie. Gosh, I love you so much. You are an absolute joy. 

Have the bestest Ninja Turtle and Hello Kitty day! ❤️❤️

southernmadesimple

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Jul 23

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There’s a Barbie movie or something happening. I haven’t seen it, but I’ll never turn down an opportunity to wear pink. 🎀😏 

Also - Chicken Coop Barbie is a thing and I’m here for it. 🐓 

#barbie #barbiedoll #barbiemovie

southernmadesimple

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Jul 15

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Now that I’ve had time to rest and recover a little 🤪

Here’s a few snippets from seeing blink-182 in Atlanta this week. I’ll say it over and over - I’ll never ever forget it! 🤘🏻

Set list from the night 6/13/23

- Anthem pt 2
- Rock show
- Man overboard 
- Feeling this 
- Reckless abandon 
- Violence 
- Up all night 
- Dysentery gary
- Dumpweed 
- Edging
- Aliens exist
- Cynical
- Happy Holidays
- Stay together for the kids
- Always 
- Down
- Bored to death 
- Miss you
- Adams song
- Ghost on the dance floor
- What’s my age again
- Rock show
- All the small things
- Dammit

Kenny Hooplah and Turnstile both opened. They were amazing! Wish you were there! It was incredible ❤️ #blink #blink182 #blink182tour #girlattherockshow #dysenterygary

southernmadesimple

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Jul 14

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Best time of my life 🤘🏻🚦

Seeing blink-182 in person for the first time is something I’ll never forget. I screamed every word from the top of my lungs with thousands of other people who have loved blink for 20+ years like I have. Such a cool experience. 

I’ll share more later, but here’s a shot of me living an actual dream out loud - singing All The Small Things with Mark, Tom and Travis right in front of me. 🤘🏻 #blink182

southernmadesimple

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Jul 4

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When your best friend comes back home to Alabama from New Mexico and you’re able to get together for the 4th 🙌🏻❤️🤍💙

The first photo has us rolling, y’all. I had to stand on a bench to almost be a head higher than her. She’s 6ft tall and I’m just barely 4’11 on a good day when the earth is tilting just right. We were a sight to see together walking down the hallways of our high school. 😂😂

And we’re still a sight to see together! We were going to get a picture of us together at the fireworks stand stocking up on the spleen spliters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker donts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers (with or without the scooter stick,) and one single whistling kitty chaser….but decided the watermelon was cuter. 🍉 

Love you, @gypsy_er_nurse! You always look like the 4th of July 🤪

southernmadesimple

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Jun 15

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Nobody likes you when you’re 23.

But when you’re 33? It’s still probably true. You’ve just learned to care a whole lot less. 😏 

My birthday started with severe weather sirens blaring in the wee hours of the morning. Then they continued to go off most of the day, which is WILD when you are a survivor of a traumatic storm event. 🙄
All of our plans got cancelled and I felt a little (a lot) grumpy about it for a while.

Then the rain quit, I got my nose pierced and then shoved my face with a ton of pizza from Bibb Street Pizza Co in downtown Montgomery. Because that’s what I want to do now that I’m 33. And it’s so freeing. ✌🏻#itsmybirthday

southernmadesimple

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Jun 12

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Unreal.  My Etsy shop hit 25,000 sales this past week, and I honestly am struggling to even type any of this because of the tears. Such extreme thankfulness.

Running a small business is hard. Keeping up with everything that goes with it is a lot. Being fully present with a business we created from nothing AND being fully present with my babies is a lot. I work 7 days a week, most days starting at 4 am to make and package items for my Etsy business. I went from 1 3D printer to 14 in less than 2 years just to be able to keep up with production. It’s A LOT. 

But I wake up and go to work every day feeling an insane amount of thankfulness (after a ton of caffeine - let’s be real 🥴) because of every single person who has supported my small business along the way. You don’t have to shop small, but you do. 

And believe me when I say this - it CHANGES peoples lives. I never saw myself doing this, but I’m amazed at what it’s become. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much. ❤️

And even if it’s not my business you support, please make sure you’re supporting small businesses elsewhere. That’s life changing stuff, y’all. It really is.

southernmadesimple

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May 30

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Last night was a dream. Seeing Nickel Creek perform live is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a teen. I cried when they came out on stage, I got chills as they intro’d each song, and I sang their songs back at the top of my lungs. My husband made sure I was front row for it all (with VIP passes - I think he likes me 😏) and I still cannot get over it. I know I never will. Thank you for an incredible night. ❤️

southernmadesimple

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May 19

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There’s been a lot of moments in the last year where it felt like the rain would just never stop. Life felt pretty heavy and I swear I aged 7 years in the last 7 months. You’ve held my hand through it all, and you’re infinitely more than I deserve. I love you endlessly.

Happy Anniversary, love. 11 years married, 18 years together. ❤️

southernmadesimple

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May 14

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Celebrating Mother’s Day with the two little goofballs that call me Mama ❤️

southernmadesimple

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May 8

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It’s your golden birthday! ✨🎉🎂

I hope your day is filled with so much fun, laughter and ALL things Hello Kitty! You are such a gift to me. I love you so! ❤️❤️

southernmadesimple

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Apr 23

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Well. I guess this is my entire personality now. 🤷🏻‍♀️🐓😂

We decided to try our hand at raising chickens this year. We started out with nine, then tragically lost 3 of them two weeks ago. I was far more heartbroken than I thought I’d ever be over the loss of a chicken.

This week we brought home 10 more baby chicks to raise, and I honestly am shocked at how calm and peaceful they make me feel. I used to be terrified of chickens, but turns out I just needed to let go of fear and let my love run.  And, truly - I love them so much. ❤️

Also, it’s the way that I can hand my husband my phone and say, “Here, take my picture holding this chicken“ and he doesn’t even laugh or question the madness. What a good man. 😂

southernmadesimple

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Apr 20

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We sold our first 3D printed item 2 years ago today just guessing that it *might* work out and we’d make a few Etsy sales. 🤷🏻‍♀️

21,000+ orders, products sold in one retail store in a different state and a brand new workshop later, all I can do is simultaneously laugh and cry that it actually worked out. I don’t know exactly what I’m doing with all of these 3D printers, but I’m glad to be doing this. ❤️

Thank you to those that have supported our small business along the way. You’re the best!

#3dprinting

southernmadesimple

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Apr 9

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Happy Easter from my family to yours! ✝️❤️

southernmadesimple

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Mar 3

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Irish eyes are smiling over my girls in the CUTEST St. Patrick’s Day hair bows from our favorite bow shop - @southernbelleslikebigbows! 

The girls squealed with joy when they opened up their new shamrock hair bows. They’ll definitely be pinch-proof all month long!

#stpatricksday #stpattysday #southernbelle #bows #hairbows #pinchproof #irish #luckoftheirish #irisheyes #leprechaun
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"Hi there! I'm Laura, and I'm a child of God, a wife, and a mother of two. My roots are planted deep in rural Alabama. Monograms, crafting and Southern cuisine - yes, these are a few of my favorite things! Join me as I grow my family in the beautiful South where the tea is sweet, the accents are sweeter, & someone's heart is always being blessed." [Read more...]

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