LadyBayou

Hello! 👋 I am a mid-40's Louisiana girl who loves happy mail, snail mail, pen pals, crafting, and DIY. I'm a full time 'spoonie' & part time therapist. I have been married about 20 years & we are a retired USAF family.

We have no children & love our fur babes dearly. We have two senior dogs who give us a run for our money (quite literally these days) & fill our home with so much joy. Charley, our oldest (14) is a female black lab mix. Abby (13), is a Dachshund Beagle mix. Charley was my 1st dog ever! In late July, we lost my husband's twin sister to a brief battle with cancer and we took in her 10yo dog, Josie. She is a Curr mix & is quite honestly the sweetest dog I've ever met. We have one more pet - Ziva David, who is a 9yo tuxedo cat. We are also former foster parents & still have a relationship with our former kiddos & their momma.

I spend my free time with my little family. We love to take day trips & just work to be present in our daily life together. Our world is so fast-paced & rapidly whirling around us. It's a bit much these days. If I'm resting or relaxing, you are going to find me reading, streaming a show, or napping. If I'm up & about, you'll find me cleaning, organizing, decorating, creating, planning, researching, or some variation of any of that!

I absolutely LOVE snail mail. It's definitely a highlight of my day or week.

I'm a sucker for washi, paper of all kinds, notebooks/journals, gift cards, nail wraps, gluten-free snacks, all things Christmas, scripture, inspirational quotes & such, and travel.

Things that I collect that don't quite apply too much here are nativities & anything nativity related, Eeyore items, Peanuts (especially Charlie Brown Christmas & anything 'Lucy'), Willow Tree, Rae Dunn, & snowmen.

I live large, laugh hard, and love big. I see beauty where others don't. I'm philosophical, existential, & worldly. Life is INCREDIBLY hard, but so beautiful. I'm all about the things that make us tick as humans and the things that keep us sane! I value self-care and quiet time. I'm firm in my boundaries & work on myself every. single. day. My husband & I live a very quiet, rural life. I love the quotes and the positive affirmations, the little things, and all the things that make me laugh or bring me joy. I can walk into the Dollar Tree or Dollar General (my fave) & spend way too much money! If it's cute or pretty or sends a message... if you'd see it on TikTok, a blog, Pinterest, or someone's vision board.... it would probably find a home in my life. I'm so easy to please.

I love a good psychological thriller. Definitely not a romance fan. Give me some mystery, some murder, some serial killers, some law enforcement, or just a basic good 'who-dun-it'. I keep my Goodreads updated as I read (link under info at top of page). Psych/Self-Help types. Christian based. Bible studies. Magazines :) Even Reader's Digest!

As for ephemera from books... oh boy, you can't go wrong! I love pages from hymnals, vintage books, Christmas carols, dictionaries, all the way down to the silly end like Where's Waldo or children's books. I can definitely find a use!