Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Tuesday Crafties {Thanksgiving Table}

So here's a few quick glimpses of our Thanksgiving table and especially our place cards which doubled as our napkin rings.


So I used what I had in my craft supply and took gift tags, stamped a little holiday greeting plus the name of the person whose place it was on the tag.  I then ran the tag ties through a button, tied it off around the napkin and finished it off with a sprig of orange dried flowers. I like the way it turned out and that I used what I had to add a nice little detail to our holiday meal.


Did you do anything to add a special touch to your holiday? 

Monday, November 28, 2011

Over the {Holiday} Weekend

How did everyone's holiday weekend go?  We had a wonderful holiday weekend--it was equal parts restful and adventurous and full of family-time awesomeness.  

Our Thanksgiving Day was low key with a small get together with family and friends, hosted at our house.  I cooked a full Thanksgiving meal which was awesome--I love cooking especially in my own home for people I love!  And bonus, we were able to get my sis to snap a few family pics for the Christmas card.  This one is of just T and I, so it didn't make the cut for the Christmas card, but I love it so much I have to share it here.  


And we got a few pics of us girlies!  


We are not big Black Friday people, in fact, we have only ever made one purchase on Black Friday.  Really, the whole Black Friday thing seems rather counter intuitive to how we do Christmas with a budget and a plan, but hey, no judgement here if it's your thing (unless you pepper sprayed anyone and then, shame on you!).  So instead of participating in mass consumerism we decided to create some family memories and enjoy the crazy warm weather by packing up our cute little family and heading over to the FTW Zoo.  I mean really, where else can you spend a gorgeous day at the zoo in late November but Texas?  So we took advantage and took the little miss to see the animals.  


Little miss loved the penguins and turtles and then just really loved all the people watching.  The cooler weather meant that all the animals were out and very active, rather than in the summer when they are either indoors or lounging in the shade. We saw a zebra get a full run going, which was stunning.  


Aren't these two just the most handsome date to the zoo a girl could ever have?!

On Saturday we started decorating the tree for the holidays and met up with friends for lunch.  Little miss and I also got some time together so we decided to pop over to the mall to say "hey!" to a friend that just picked up a part time job there.  And I am so glad I did because little miss was hilarious!  Every time we stepped out into the main mall crowd she would grin and bounce up and down--she was definitely excited to be around all the people.  

Sunday was more decorating and resting and family time and just sort of soaking up the last bit of family time together before a hectic week.  

How was your Thanksgiving holiday?  

Monday, November 21, 2011

Over the Weekend

I am just going to warn you.  If you are looking for a magical over the weekend post with fun pictures of mommas and baby and dads having adventures, this post isn't going to be that.  


Thursday night I got violently ill with a flu virus.   At 4am when it looked like it wasn't a fluke and I might just die, I rolled over and sent two texted, one to my aunt who lives around the corner to see if she could come help with the little miss during the day and one to my sister to see if she could come help T disinfect the house after she got off work so that no one else would get this devil.  I will spare you the gross details but let's just say it took until Sunday night for me to have a real meal and my "meal" was a dry baked potato.  Awesome.  


The upside is my two favorite ladies pulled through, so little miss was very happy and well cared for and my house is sparkling clean and germ free. And of course T was super dad over the weekend taking little miss out on mini-adventures that they would then come back and recount to me.  There might have been some Christmas decoration gazing and petting puppies involved--those two are just too much fun when they get together!

The down side is that all then thing I planned on wrapping up, taking photos of and getting listed in the shop were delayed. But don't forget you can still enter the giveaway until midnight tonight! 

So that's what happened over my weekend, did anyone doing anything fun or have an adventure?  Since I stayed in bed all weekend I would love to hear what you were up to! 

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thanksgiving Prep



Happy Thursday all!  We are getting very excited planning our Thanksgiving meal, cleaning the house and getting the china out.  Every time I think about using the china I have a little inner squeal of excitement (goofy and girly, I know!). It's little miss's first Thanksgiving, but it's also our first Thanksgiving in our new home and truth be told it will be our first Thanksgiving in our own home period.  I am really looking forward to hosting and making memories in our home this holiday season.  Right now I am debating what part of our menu will be traditional classic dishes and what new dishes I want to try out and maybe incorporate as new family tradition in years to come.  Do you keep the menu the same very year or do you change it up?  Any recipe suggestions out there?   

And remember we have our first giveaway going.  Enter here and check out the shop here.  I have a few really cute things I am working on for the shop that I hope to get listed this weekend.  And I might even be working on a few cute things for the house to decorate for Christmas!  

Wednesday, November 16, 2011


Well, yesterday was pretty exciting here on the ol blog, at least for me.  And despite it being such an exciting week already we are surprisingly taking it easy around here this week.  Little girl caught a cold from some visitors last week and her cute wide open, slobbery kisses have managed to infect us all.  No complains but we are hanging out and trying to all get better before the holiday next week, since we are going to be getting our cook on over here for Thanksgiving.  

On a totally random side note, I am slowly reconditioning to do a few runs this winter.  I have one in two weeks and you know I have the cutest little running buddy.  If only we could get these colds cleared up and get back at it!  Do any of you out there have any tips for running while getting over a cold?  

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Pretty As the Morning Launch and Giveaway

I am really excited and nervous for this post.  Maybe only a handful of you dear readers know that I originally started this blog two years ago in the hopes of launching a shop on Etsy, to track my journey, share my work and network with other creatives.  But as you know, life got in the way, in the very best ways.  And I never felt like I was fully ready or it was ever the right time.  

But two things happened recently that gave me the shove I needed.  First, I read this article by Jess over at Makeunder My Life and it really struck a chord.  I am a perfectionist to the core. And I realized that I might not ever launch the ol etsy store if I waited until I got everything done and everything was "just right." A few weeks later and I was sharing this with my friend Jen (by the way this girl is crazy gifted in the crafties department, check out her Flickr stream here.  But I warn you it craft-intimidated me for sure!).  I shared with Jen my concerns about launching, things I wanted to do/have done, etc.  And she just sort of laughed at me and said, "Those things are like the littlest things when it comes to selling online, really, no big deal.  They could be done later, after you start, you know, actually selling things."  Well, when you put it that way...

So I did it!  I launched my shop last week!  It is a small start and its definitely not a perfect start but it's a start.  And to celebrate I want to do a giveaway, since a) I feel like celebrating this small accomplishment and b) I've never done a blog giveaway yet!  So I am giving away one item from the shop to one lucky reader.


  


Entering the giveaway is simple. Pop over to the shop and check it out (and if you want to tell and friends or two or ten) and leave a comment in the comment section below.  Also, I will be adding new items through out the week so keep checking back.  I will draw a winner on Monday, November 21!  

Tuesday Crafties

Are you gearing up for Christmas, yet?  I usually practice a little restraint and wait until the week of Thanksgiving before I totally give in and bust out the Christmas music and start on the Christmas crafties, but this year I have some pretty big plans and projects so I thought I would get cracking early.

We have had some pretty big occasions in our lives this year--the little miss was born, my brother got married and my sister got her first place.  Lots to celebrate and lots to commemorate.  I wanted to make something special to mark this year especially for my brother and his wife, something that they could get out year after year and remember this year as special.  So I got into the craft supplies and here is what I came up with:  



On the other side I put their names and I have to say, I think it will make a very cute gift.  

Also, stay tuned for an exciting announcement later today and our first ever giveaway here on the ol blog!  

Friday, November 11, 2011

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programing to Bring You a Baby in a Bear Hat

I know I already shared, but seriously.  How cute?!


We kept it out after Halloween just for fun.  She only thinks it awesome because we think its awesome.  

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Fall Goings On

We are pretty big on fall traditions and celebrations at our house.  Last year I shared a few of our favorite activities past and present.  This year as we physically acclimate to the warm weather here in Texas it has been a wee bit harder to get into the fall mood because my brain and my wardrobe say "its time for knits and tights and hot beverages" but the weather says "you can still wear shorts and flip flops." Either way we look forward to this time of year and of course this year we are excited to share it with the little miss.  

Here's a brief little recap of our fall comings and goings so far this year:  


Little miss and I went with our play group to the pumpkin patch and got some killer photos of her in the patch.  


We also took a drive out to the country and took some family photos in the patch.  


Nothing says fall like cider and pumpkin ale and all the deliciousness of a change in season and a change in the seasonal beers we buy.  Yum.  


We have started turning on the oven and busting out the fall recipes.  Bake stuffed squash is my favorite.  Here's how you make it.


We have drug out the fall decor and spruced it up a bit this year.


We had one (yes ONE) cool, foggy, rainy day.  


We dressed little miss up as a bear for her first Halloween.


And we may or may not be keeping the head of the bear costume out to put on from time to time.

That's a glimpse of our fall so far.  What have you been doing to welcome the season after such a brutally hot summer?

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I Mustache Ask You A Question

As you might have caught the other day, I got a night out last weekend.  Since my sister has moved to town we have had lots of time together but no time where we have gone out just the two of us.  So on Friday night we decided that we would go grab a margarita and some mexican food at Uncle Julio's, as DFW staple.  

It was awesome getting the chance to just spend time together swapping stories and laughing but there was something equally as awesome that happened while we at Uncle Julio's...


Perched in my margarita was a stir-stick with a mustache on it.  Obviously we did what any two mature adults would do and took a few pics.


At the end of the night as we were leaving my sis says "I stuck that mustache in my purse, you never know when you are going to need a mustache."  

And of course it only took a day for us to realize it was the perfect size to hold up to give little miss that air of sophistication she had been lacking.  Oh, and she matches her grandpa now.  After we took this pic we put the mustache back in little sis's purse, you know for emergencies.  


Hilarious.  What would you do if you had a small portable mustache?  

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Tuesday Crafties

Its been a while since I have done a Tuesday Crafties post.  Not because we haven't been being creative over here, but because we have been tackling some big house related projects. So, while I know it's not terribly original, I will leave you with a quick hair bow I pulled together for the little miss's first trip to the pumpkin patch this season.


Some felt, a vintage button, and some ribbon and we were the cutest little gal at the patch.  plus I used a different kind of clip this time so the flower can go into her hair or clip on a hat when she is over the whole headband thing.   

What have you been crafting lately?

Monday, November 7, 2011

Life Lately According to My iPhone

 It's been a long time since my last one of these...but we have been up to a whole lot of little adventures and projects.

We finally tackled the pile of boxes in the garage.  It was totally cleaning domination.  There are now two cars in there.

We love our books.  Pooh's Five Little Honey Pots is a current fav.

My little running partner.
Who only kinda drinks from a sippy cup but grabbed the Camelback and got it on the first try.

Momma lunch

Last month's favorite toys

Getting my hair did for my little brother's wedding.

World Series.  T went to two games.  We are in sports mourning right now.  

Vintage Jewelry from Bess and Evie's

Little books for little hands

Sunset on the prairie 

A night out

Movie night with the mister

So what have you all been up to lately?

Time Out

I needed a time out from blogging.  It's complicated.  I think those of you that read and write blogs understand.  The internet is public and that's exciting because it connects you to a lot of amazing people but it also scary because it leaves pieces of your life exposed to people that don't have the best of intentions.  And then there's Adelaide and her safety and well being.  These are not new questions to bloggers or to me, but I have needed some time to think about it and figure out how I want to share our little story and sweet little life here on the ol blog.  I didn't start this as a family blog or a mom blog, but I have a family and I am a mom and so that is part of how I share what's going on here.  Ultimately, I love writing and blogging and trust that I am smart enough to protect my family while doing what I enjoy. There are far better and more eloquent articulations of this dilemma out there, but I thought I would share where I've been.

So we will be back to regular programming here.  And I am excited about that, because we have been very, very busy.