Anniversary

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!

I really really really want to host an amazing, over the top Halloween party.  Not cheesy though-no grape eyeballs in the punch or plastic spider rings in the cupcakes.  I mean the chic grown up Halloween parties that grace every October issue of Country Living magazine, one of my favorite issues every year.  I'm thinking along these lines:



















*Sigh*  One day when we have a lovely home, this will happen.  Costumes will not be optional.  I will be the one dressed as Katy Perry, and Ben will be wearing a wig and skinny jeans a la Russell Brand.  And yes you are invited.

Any fun Halloween parties on your agenda?



Thursday, October 27, 2011

MIRANDA

Is it just me, or is Miranda Lambert looking better than ever these days?  Sheesh!












Okay, so that last one was of all the Pistol Annies, but they are all hot too.  But HONEY HUSH!  Success looks good on Miranda!  I can't wait for the new album to come out in just a few days!!!!



Monday, October 24, 2011

Happy Monday!

Thoughts to guide you today:

Quotable Canvas Wall Art by Native Vermont Studio modern artwork


Also, happy anniversary to my wonderful, kind, amazing, patient, handsome, hardworking husband!  Two years, four homes, three towns, and six jobs later and we couldn't be happier!




Thursday, October 20, 2011

How to Be a Grown Up, Lesson One

So, sorry for the lack of posts.  I was on a roll there for a while, but then I had some crazy stuff happen in my personal life that threw me for a bit of a loop.  I kind of stuck my head in the sand and didn't feel like doing much of anything.  But I've decided that when life hands you lemons, sometimes you've just got to suck it up and move on.  Crying about the lemons forever isn't going to do anything, and sometimes you just don't feel like drinking lemonade, darn it.  So instead, you do nothing, but you must move on.  Which is what I'm doing.

Ben and I live like we are in a frat house.  Two lazy people who never saw a sofa we couldn't spend all day on=match made in heaven.  We live like pigs, and neither of us really minds or judges each other.  I hate cleaning with a passion, but I also hate having a dirty house.  Since I don't have magical powers or a million dollars for a maid, and since this is a problem I will face for the rest of my life, I've decided to do something about my cleaning habits, (or lack thereof.)  Usually, I wait until the house absolutely must be cleaned and then I have to drag myself to deep clean every room, and do 500 loads of laundry, which takes all day.  This ain't workin' for me anymore.  So I've decided to make cleaning a habit.  I've printed out the following list that I will hang on the fridge as a daily reminder, and every day I'm going to take 15 minutes to do a daily chore.  Hopefully, this will keep the house nice and squeaky clean all the time, and I will be one of those people.  Ya know, those people with the perpetually clean house that you hate.  Yup, that's my goal.



Cleaning Schedule

Monday- vacuum each room and stairs, occasionally do vents, curtains, and window crevices

Tuesday- dust and sweep, occasionally polish furniture

Wednesday- master bathroom: toilet, counter, mirror, shower, floors

Thursday- guest bathrooms: toilets, counters, mirrors, showers, floors

Friday- kitchen: clean out fridge, mop, clean counter tops

Daily- make bed, put away clutter, laundry, load/unload dishwasher


Totally doable, right?  I mean, I could do one load of laundry a day, no sweat!  And then most days, there won't be any laundry to do!  And yes, I don't make my bed every morning...yet.  I can do this people!  I'm pretty excited.  Next on my cleaning makeover to do list is to find natural cleaning products; usually the chemicals from various house cleaners majorly upset my allergies.  There's got to be a better way, and I'm going to find it!  Suggestions?  Want to join me in the daily cleaning challenge?  Let's do it!


Friday, October 7, 2011

Five Favs of the Week

Happy Friday!  I've decided to started posting my Five Favs of the Week every, (well, most,) Fridays to get some continuity going on my blog.  Plus, I tend to have very passionate obsessions that I feel you need to know about.  Without further ado-here are my five weekly favorites:

1-My new moccasins 


Got 'em at Baskins, of course, in the dark brown.  I've been a fan of Minnetonka mocs for years, but I currently don't have a traditional style that I hadn't worn to pieces.  And I love the more modern stud detail, which updates them a little more than a beaded design, and keeps them from looking like house shoes.  Super comfy too!

2-Mama's Broken Heart by Miranda Lambert



One of the songs from Miranda's upcoming album, "Four the Record" was released as a preview this week from Hipstamatic.  I don't understand the contest involving the preview, but I do understand that this song rocks.  Plus, it was written by Kasey Musgraves, who we've seen perform live twice!  Cool!  And don't even get me started on those sunglasses.  Yeah, I need those.  Preview the song here:  http://community.hipstamatic.com/contests/64

3-Stella & Dot's Tribute Bracelet


A rose gold/pave stone layering bracelet that benefits breast cancer research?  Yup, I love it.  (And I promise it's gorgeous, this picture doesn't do it justice. Very sparkly.)  Buy it from me for only $36 by clicking here.

4-My DVR

Ok, this may sounds a little crazy, but there is so much good stuff on TV right now!  I can't even keep my DVR straight!  What's on my queue?   The last season of Desperate Housewives, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills/New Jersey, Ringer, Hart of Dixie, Dexter, Homeland, 2 Broke Girls, Up All Night, The Rachel Zoe Project, The New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Revenge and of course Secrets from a Stylist.  Dude that's a lot when I type it all out!  But it's soooo good.  I needed these shows after a summer of Ben making me watch gloom and doom zombie/alien Apocalypse shows.  Bleh.  And a lot of these shows are new!  Thank goodness I chose the good ones to watch because nothing has been cancelled yet, (fingers crossed.)  The only one I could do without is Ringer, but I haven't given up on it yet.

5-It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Plus Keratin



Ok, yes, it's the dumbest name for a hair product ever, but this stuff works!  I normally don't use salon hair products, (Suave works just fine for me, thank you very much,) but recently my brother started delivering for a salon wholesale supplier.  (Funny, I know.)  So I decided to have him hook me up with a leave in.  When I told him what I wanted, (some crap I found on Amazon,) he said, "Have you head of It's a 10 Leave In Plus Keratin?  Girls buy the sh*t out of it."  After I died laughing, I came back to life and said sure I'll take it!  You just towel dry, spray it on, comb it through, and blow dry.  And you have perfect amazing hair!  I love it.  But probably wouldn't buy it without the discount.  If you are that kind of girl, (nothing wrong with that, I just tend to be more of a makeup splurger,) I totally recommend this.

That's it!  We're off to Houston for the Battle of the Pineywoods football game!  Axe 'Em Jacks!  I can't wait to see my friends and TAILGATE!!  Have a great weekend!


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Brilliant App: Run Pee

Since the passing of Steve Jobs, I've really been thinking about how much the iPhone makes my life so much easier, and sometimes better.  So I decided to dedicate a post today to my favorite app, Run Pee.  The concept is brilliant-while at the movie theater, pick the movie you are attending from the app and start the "timer" as soon as the movie starts.  About an hour into the movie, your phone will vibrate to let you know the perfect opportunity to take a restroom break where you won't miss much in the movie.  The app will also give a synopsis of what you missed.  Genius!  I always stress about that at the movies, but worry no more!  And best of all, it's free.  Download away people! 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Redneck Tiramisu

I love to bake.  Really, I love to cook anything.  Sometimes I'm in the mood to try a challenging recipe and spend hours shopping for specialty ingredients, separating egg whites, folding in ingredients, and completing complicated steps.  Other times, I just need to cook, and I want it done fast.  I love pillsbury.com for recipes like that-if it calls for a pound of hamburger and some crescent rolls, I'm in.  Lately, I've really had a craving for tiramisu.  I blame Kathy Wakile from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."  Sorry Teresa, but it's Kathy's cookbook I want to buy!  So yesterday, I decided I was going to make tiramisu, and I googled some recipes.  I ran in to some complications when I realized 1)-I needed mascarpone cheese and espresso, two things I wasn't going to find in this small town and 2)-it was quite a process to make, and I wasn't in the mood.  I wanted tiramisu and I wanted it now.  So I headed over to my trusty Pinterest and typed in "easy tiramisu".  Most everything still required mascarpone.  Then the word "Twinkies" caught my eye.  Twinkies I can find in this town.  Yet the recipe still wasn't easy enough for me, so I adapted my own recipe from this one, which I will lovingly refer to as Redneck Tiramisu.  Super sweet, but quite tasty.  Ya know, if you like Twinkies.  You're welcome.



  Redneck Tiramisu

5 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder
3/4 cup of sugar divided
8 ounces whipped cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 container of Cool Whip, thawed in fridge (I used fat free)
10 Twinkies (actually, I used the Little Debbie wannabees because they were $1 cheaper)
cocoa powder

In a glass bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar and the instant coffee with 1 cup of boiling water, whisking until dissolved.  Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk cream cheese, vanilla and 1/4 cup of sugar until blended.  (I didn't bother with the electric mixer, just made Ben stir for a while.)  Gradually whisk in thawed Cool Whip to cream cheese mixture.

Cut Twinkies in half lengthwise.  Dip each half into the coffee mixture.  (Just moisten, don't soak.)  As you dip, place the Twinkies along side each other in a baking dish to create the bottom layer.  If you use a 8x8(ish) sized dish, half of the Twinkies will make the bottom layer.  Spread a layer of the cream cheese mixture on top of the Twinkie layer, then sprinkle it with cocoa powder.  Dip the remaining Twinkie halves and create a another Twinkie, cream cheese, cocoa powder layer.  Cover tightly and refrigerate until well chilled. 



Saturday, October 1, 2011

Best Weekend Ever; Part Three: Monday

Every once in a while, something happens, and you just know you are in the right place at the right time.  Back in late August, I saw a tweet from the gals at Junk Gypsy about having lunch at the Prairie by Rachel Ashwell.  I'd already been investigating the Prairie for months, (again, thanks for the heads up Junk Gypsy!) because I love Rachel Ashwell, and I love antiques week, so why wouldn't I want to stay at her bed and breakfast?  A stay at the Prairie was already on my bucket list, as well as meeting Rachel and telling her how much I've loved Shabby Chic over the years, and how she is such an inspirational woman for gals like  me.  So anyways, the tweet took me to this post by Kelley from The Hidden List blog.  To get invited to a delicious lunch from Royers Cafe at the Prairie, as well as meet and greet with Rachel and 35 other bloggers, all I had to do was be one of the first to RSVP.  My heart sank and I just knew that 1)-35 women had surely already signed up and 2)-I wasn't planning on attending Antiques Week this Fall, and there was no way I could take off work on a Monday to go.  It took me about 2 minutes to change my mind and take the chance by emailing Kelley anyways.  I knew if I didn't, I would regret it, and I'm positive I would have.  I told Ben, "at least I tried."  Two hours later, to my amazement, I got an email from Kelley saying, "YOUR IN!"  I ran to go tell Ben, then immediately grabbed the phone to call my friend Ashley, who also blogs over at This Country Fried Life.  I knew she would want to get in on this.  And sure enough, she got in too, and the rest is history.  I made sure I could take off work for the day, and we headed to Round Top!

Just driving down to the Prairie is a treat.  Even on a 100+ degree day, you can't help but admit Round Top is some beautiful country.  The Prairie is tucked just far enough away that you can't hear a bit of traffic, but not so far that it's a huge ordeal to drive into town.  (Especially if Royer's new Pie Haven is on the agenda!)  I pulled in to the bumpy gravel drive, feeling almost surreal.  "I'm headed to Rachel Ashwell's home away from home, to have lunch with her."  I mean WOW!

The Liliput Lodge greets you when you first drive up.

Three Flags over Texas?  :)


Immediately we were escorted in to the Ranger's Lounge where lunch would be held.  From that first moment, the luncheon was heaven.  The table was beautifully set, (I expected no less from Rachel,) and the food was divine, (I expected no less from Royers!) 

Check out this spread:  Royers Famous Grilled Shrimp BLT along with a Café Salad with Grilled Chicken & Cilantro Ranch Dressing, Café’s Yeast Rolls & Butters, 1/2 & 1/2 (iced tea and lemonade!), and a slice of Bud’s Chocolate Chip Pie topped with Amy’s Ice Cream.



Dining on delicious Royers food and pies at Zapp Hall is one of my favorite parts of Antiques Week, but I've never had the pleasure of dining in their actual cafe.  Let me tell you, it tastes just as delicious when you aren't exhausted and sweaty from a day of shopping!  Best food EVER EVER EVER!  And to top it all off, you can order their pies and other goodies online!  Check it out!  Seriously, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.  I brought Ben home a chocolate chip pie and a red velvet whoopie pie.  (and I'm already craving more!)  I even got to meet the infamous Bud, the Pieman, Royer.  I mean seriously, how adorable is he?  And he's just as precious in person as he looks like he'd be.  :)

Photo from *here*  (For some reason, all of my photos of Bud turned out blurry.)

I had the pleasure of being seated with the women representing Dwell the Dignity, the charity the luncheon was supporting.  Now I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but charity was not the driving force that brought me to Round Top.  I was excited about the food, friendship and scenery, and if it benefited a good cause, then that was icing on the cake.  But after talking to Lisa Robison and Kim Turner, I am so inspired and passionate about the organization they have built.  I'll let them explain to you what their organization does, in their own words from their website:

"Dwell with Dignity is a non-profit group of Interior Designers and volunteers dedicated to creating soothing, inspiring homes for families struggling with homelessness and poverty. We provide and install home interiors for families that include furnishings and art, bedding and kitchen supplies, and food in the pantry.  Our mission is to help families escape poverty and homelessness through design. One household at a time.  If we can change a person’s surroundings, we can change their outlook on life. Exposing children (especially) to a nurturing home environment, that includes good design and art, can inspire a standard of living that will carry-over to future generations. Exposing parents to this same environment will allow them to see the positive impact it has on their family; inspiring them to maintain a standard of living they can be proud of and thrive in."

They gave us all of the details, down to the fact that they include two sets of sheets for every bed, and two sets of towels for each resident.  They even have a warm meal cooking in the crock pot when the family comes home for the first time, and not just one, but two, Royers Pies waiting for them.  :)  This isn't just a vanity project that drops these families in a lovely home and then takes off.  The families that receive Dwell with Dignity's services are partnered with outside organizations to make sure they are receiving the support they need in all areas of their life.  Lisa told us about one woman who said that she gets more respect from her peers in the workforce because of her home environment, and she feels it has helped her promote in her career!  The program is based out of Dallas, and they were recently featured on the Nate Berkus Show.  (love him!)  However, the program is still small, and they don't have enough financial support to do all of the great things they'd like to do, such as start chapters in other cities.  Please consider becoming a member, which starts at only $30 a year!  They told us that if each person who saw them on the Nate Berkus show gave $1, they would have enough money to expand.  I truly believe this is a worthy cause, and something I would love to be a part of.  Please check out their website to explore this great organization more!

After lunch, Rachel gave us a tour of the Liliput Lodge, her and her staff's home during Antiques Week.  She was such a warm and gracious host, allowing us to explore every nook and cranny of the historical home, including the laundry room and her own personal bedroom!  She explained to us how even though wagon wheels, deer mounts and dark woods aren't her traditional Shabby Chic look, she felt like it was important to remain true to the home's Texas roots, so she brilliantly blended "Texas" in with Shabby Chic, with truly outstanding results.



I became quite obsessed with this pillow.

Don't these beds just look like heaven?

Every where I turned, there was a little bit of loveliness.


She told us a cute story about how she came to own the bed and breakfast, and due to her daughter being sick, she only had one day to walk the property and instruct on the changes she wanted.  She recalled looking at this wagon wheel and bursting into tears, exclaiming, "what the hell have I done?"  Her staff added these sweet little lampshades while she was away, so now she lovingly refers to this as the "chandelier of acceptance."

We were able to shop in her newest "Shabby Chic Couture" shop on the grounds, (locations in New York, London, Los Angeles, and ROUND TOP!)  I bought her brand new book, which I was able to get signed by Rachel!  It now sits with my other Rachel Ashwell book in the living room, ready to inspire me at any moment. 




She was seriously such a sweet heart.  Amazing woman!



If you ever need a "soul vacation" or are considering heading to Round Top, check out the Prairie.  You won't regret it!

I left Round Top with many new friends, well rested, well fed and inspired.  A rejuvenation of soul, so to speak.  And I can't wait to go back.