My Everyday featuring ... Carmel Phillips

[#1] Share with us a snippet of your story.
I'm a Southern California girl who is currently living and loving life in the heart of the bluegrass.  My real life adventure began in 1998 when I met and fell in love with a Kentucky boy. We got married in 2000 and boarded the moving train. Our moving adventures have taken us from California to Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and back to Kentucky. Over the almost 13 years that we've been married we've moved 6 times and have lived at 7 different addresses. In 2010 we decided it was time to "settle down" and we put down roots in Lexington, Kentucky to raise our kids - Collin (8) and Josie (6). Moving around inspired a passion for creating a home and out of that passion my blog, Our Fifth House, was born. On my blog I share design ideas, DIY projects, and random tidbits about our family life. It has been a wonderful creative outlet that keeps me inspired and motivated. 

[#2] What is your favorite part of the day with your little one[s]?
My favorite part of the day with my kiddos is picking them up from school. Now that they're both in school I have hours to myself during the day to write posts and work on blog projects. I appreciate the flexibilty that the blog provides allowing me to be creative, work from home, and still be available to my kids. Rather than putting my kids on the bus I purposely choose to drive them to and from school. The after school stories I hear are truly priceless, and I cherish that special time in the car with them. We often stop for snacks or go to the park to unwind from the day. It's a nice time for me to connect with them - without a phone or a computer nearby.

[#3] Name Instagram MOMS who inspire you.
@cassie8978 / @athoughtfulplace /  @adelightfuldesign

[#4] The chores are done, there's nothing expected of you & you've got 45 minutes of personal free time ... how would you spend it? 
45 minutes of personal free time?! Does that ever actually happen?! Ha! I enjoy reading - actual books - not those e-reader things. I just like having a real book with pages in my hand, and if I have some downtime you will probably find me curled up somewhere with a book in one hand and a hot cup of coffee in the other. I also, on occasion, take myself out to lunch. There's something so relaxing about taking a book to a restaurant and eating alone. It really does help to recharge my batteries.

[#5] What are your staple go-to pieces from your closet this month?
I'm just slightly obsessed with anything spotted or dotted and vintage jewelry. 

[#6] If you could give us a peek inside your home - what image would you share and why?
My kitchen/breakfast room table. This is where we gather as a family to eat meals together, where my kids do their homework, and where we do crafts together. It's probably the most used area of my home, and I hope when my kids are grown they remember all the fun we had together as a family around this table. 

Bonus!
Share a photo you wouldn't typically post on Instagram but depicts real life happenings. 
I really believe in sharing the good, the bad and the ugly. I generally keep it real, and there's not much that I won't share. However, I'm not much of a natural beauty. I'm thankful for the transformative power of cosmetics. Ha! I wasn't going to share this photo that my daughter insisted we take, but I'm really happy I did end up sharing it after all. It's a great reminder that my kids don't care what I look like - that the beauty that's most important is found on the inside - and that I need to get in the picture more often no matter if I'm in pajamas, yoga pants, or a hooded sweatshirt.

Be sure and follow @carmel_ourfifthhouse on Instagram! You can also keep up with the series by following @kelliandvanessa or #myeverydaymoms