Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind The Blogger

Karen from Southern Gal Meets Midwest

 Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind the Blogger is a feature done each Saturday that introduces you to a blogger you may already know or a new blogger for you to get to know. This feature gives you a peak into the personal life of the blogger.  Getting to know the special person behind the beautiful blog.

There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland so enjoy getting to know these talented bloggers each Saturday.

I want to thank Karen for being in the Spotlight this week.  Karen is a life saver!!!  I had another blogger scheduled and she had to back out at the last minute.  Karen was scheduled for later in the month but was so kind to get  her feature to me early for this Saturday.    So thank you Karen for coming to Spotlight's rescue!  So enjoy reading Karen's feature and getting to know her better.  Karen is so sweet and you will love her blog.

Hello Friends,

I am very excited and honored to be featured in todays Saturday Spotlight. Thank you so much Kris for inviting me to participate. I am a beginner in blogging over at Southern Gal Meets Midwest. My blog name is directly taken from the big life change for me in recent years. I love to sew (had a holly hobbie sewing machine at age 9) and decorate anything, guess you could say my style is all over the place! There are a lot of neutrals in my home so adding color to go with the seasons gives me the feeling of a completely new room. My obsession with thrift stores keeps growing and if I don't feed that obsession at least once a week? well, it's just not good. I love finding metal pieces to add to my décor and giving old furniture new life. A native of Florida I'm the oldest of 3. Me and my younger sister and brother.

My parents have said many times they could not keep me still or quiet, I was continuously talking to anyone who would listen and sometimes even those who weren't! When I started school all that talking got me called out by the teacher...what can I say.. I'm very social!

 Daddy was always tossing me around and even though it was scary for mama and my aunties I always enjoyed it. I think I was supposed to be a boy...LOL!

I was only one year old when my sister came along and we were raised pretty much like twins. We did everything together. Easter was a favorite time along with hunting eggs in the field of wildflowers behind our house. We lived very modestly and happily as Daddy was a welder at the local phosphate mine and Mama stayed home to raise us kids. Both of our grandmothers were excellent seamstresses and they made most of the pretty dresses we wore. Our family always said that proper southern young ladies should wear only dresses so that is what we did until we were old enough to plead our case for jeans. Eventually they saw our side of it (or just got tired of hearing us) and it was blue jeans for school, but only dresses for church...always.

I don't have many pictures of our younger brother with us when we were small as he spent much time sick or hospitalized as an infant and toddler. We try and make up for that these days and get together to visit and snap pics even though we are all spread out in different states.

I married very young (soon after high school) and started a family a couple of years later. Things did not work out like I thought they would in the marriage but my 3 kids are more than I could have ever asked for. Brittany, Chad and the youngest is Dylan.

They have brought so much joy to me and I have treasured each stage during their years of growing up. Seemed like they would be little forever and the time has just gone by so fast. Brittany still remains in Georgia, Chad's job took him to Florida and Dylan lives with me.

Brittany married her best friend Rollie (aka James) two years ago and I am so proud to have him as my son. Rollie is a teacher and Brittany is a hair stylist.

 We have had many things to celebrate over the past few years, another being mama and daddy's 50th Wedding Anniversary. They still live in Florida and I try to get there for visits as often as possible.

One of the most AMAZING things to happen to me in recent years was meeting this handsome gentleman!
My Darling Kevin

I was living in Georgia at this time so we were separated by many miles. We did get to visit and go on a few traditional dates....

but most of our dates were on the phone or emails. We saw it as a great opportunity to further our friendship and that we did. We communicated everyday and each time I was head over heels that much more for him. He is the sweetest most kind gentleman I have ever met and I love him with all my heart. Kevin and I were married in 2014. We had a beach ceremony in Florida with our family and close friends present.

He has won the hearts of my entire family, especially Mama.

Kevin, Dylan & I are now calling Iowa home, even though we miss our family and old friends God is opening new doors for us to form new relationships through church, school and work. For all this we are very thankful.

I can't forget our two very spoiled pups....

Hope is Kevin's Jack Russell baby and Oakley is my little ball of lovable fluff.

Hmmm...what a combination!

Hope was not so sure she was ready to allow Oakley in her life as her brother but she is learning to tolerate him a little more now.

Sharing squeaky toys and attention is not so easy when you have been numero uno all your life!

This year we have been blessed with a precious new addition. Brittany and Rollie welcomed their first child Ellie.

Now I am a proud Nana!!
Seeing Ellie for the first time brought tears to my eyes and I could hardly wait to get her in my arms.

Looks like our trips south will become much more frequent...

after all...I  am gonna have to spoil this little bundle of chunky sweetness...it's my job!

Well...I know this is a lot but maybe it gives a peek into the life of Karen who now lives in the Midwest but will always be a Southern Gal. Thanks for stopping by and may I say...all of you ladies are just the sweetest and I am so looking forward to knowing all of you better.

Karen
Southern Gal Meets Midwest

Thank you Karen for sharing yourself with us this week in the Spotlight.   You look way too young to be a grandma!!!!  Please jump over to Karen's blog and say Hi.
I know with all the busy going on with holiday shopping, baking, decorating, etc.  I appreciate you taking some down time to read Spotlight this week.  Thank you again Karen for helping me out this week with doing Spotlight early.  Loved getting to know more about you and your beautiful family.
Have a great week end.
Kris
:)