Elzabelz

Friday Favorites-Retail Therapy

2012-01-26T20:09:00.011-06:00

There has been a lot of stress at work lately. For me that translates into either retail therapy or eating therapy (stuffing my face). Here's two of my favorite (retail) things lately.

via Redbook

Kendra Scott anything. Most recently the Danielle earrings, bought as an "atta girl" for completing the Houston 1/2 marathon. I bought the Tiger Eye color. Love them. In fact, I pretty much love all of her stuff.

via JCrew

I have a problem. A striped shirt problem. I might or might not have 9 striped shirts in my closet. Which is why I just bought this one. Oops. My reasoning-stripes work as well in the office as on the weekend. Whatever, I like them. You should be impressed that I refrained from also buying this in the red/pink color too. There's no stopping you though!

A couple new Friday Favorites.

Boy Moms

2012-01-23T20:48:00.005-06:00

I was convinced when I met my husband that we would have all boys. He's just a GUY. A hunting, fishing, dirty, messy, sports loving, fixing things GUY. I was pleasantly shocked when we had two girls. Two girly girls. I LOVE being a mom to my two girls. It's insanely fun. I'm all over the sparkly, glittery, painting nail side of parenting girls. Boys? Notsomuch.

This weekend the girls and I went to visit my brother's family. My brother and his wife have two insanely cute little boys. They are ALL BOY. Dinosaurs, trains, 8 million kinds of things that go-all with names and jobs, etc. (I imagine its the equivalent of princesses and hearing about their dresses and songs ad nauseum). We were all in the car and both my sister in law and I told my nephew (4) to stop picking his nose (GROSS, why do kids do that?!). So, he reached over, grabbed my sister in law's arm and wiped his nose with it. She kept right on talking. Did not miss a beat. I was shocked. Her reaction- Eh, I've had worse!

That is a Boy mom! I was equal parts and impressed and completely grossed out.

Love Thursday-Gumballs

2012-01-18T20:30:00.011-06:00

I sometimes think my kids don't hear a thing I say; especially after saying the same thing over and over and over. After what Em did last week, I know they hear and remember. And, sometimes a simple act can mean so much. About a month ago the girls and I drove by an estate sale. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a vintage red gumball machine. I'm not going to lie, I might have screamed. I went over to look at (pet) it, but the sale was closed for the evening. I might have also mentioned about a 1,000 times how excited I was to come back after Church the next day and get it. I've wanted a red stand up (preferably vintage) gumball machine for our living room for months. And, here was one! Just down the road from my parents' house! Yay! The next day, we ran over after Church and...it was sold. Wah wah wah.

Fast forward a month and Em proudly says "Momma, I got something for you at school." She brought this little plastic gumball machine out. She used her reading points to buy it for me from her school store. Oh, My heart. I was so touched. (The by product for the girls from this deed is that now I can't say No when they want a gumball, because it is just so sweet!) Now, I don't even think I need an actual gumball machine.

Houston Half Marathon

2012-01-16T11:53:00.011-06:00

Today I am home nursing my aching muscles-and trying to keep up with two kids who did not run 13.1 miles yesterday. So, that's working out well. But, yesterday I did this:

Pretend this is an action shot-I missed my husband the first time and had to double back about a half mile-whoops!

Woo-hoo, another 1/2 marathon done! I wasn't planning on running this race since I didn't get a number (again), but my friend injured himself and offered his entry to me. Yay-I mean, not for him, but for me. *Also, hilarious were all the people cheering me on "Go,...Travis?! You're doing great." Cracked me up!

I wasn't sure about running since I haven't been able to get any long training runs in lately. Before the race I only ran 4 miles-oops. Not the smartest idea. (In my defense, it was a last minute decision. I'm not usually this stupid!...Usually) BUT, I knew it would be good to run the distance in prep for my Austin 1/2, plus the race was in town, so I knew the course and knew it wouldn't be too difficult to run.

Things I have learned about running half marathons so far (in all the 2 I've run, Ha!)

1) Bring napkins, tissues, and hand sanitizer for pit stops. (I ended up making two pit stops and was glad I had the emergency provisions!).

2) Sparkle skirts are an awesome way for your husband to (eventually) find you on the course-but it is better to describe what you are wearing BEFORE you pass him and have to back-track! Oops. Of course mine is Orange-duh!

3) Yurbuds are awesome. My previous earbuds fell out of my ears all.the.time and it was so annoying. These stay put and you can carry on a conversation while running. Awesome.

4) The Houston Marathon is a VERY well run race. The spectators are everywhere and really make running much easier. I would run this race every year IF I get a number.

5) Those last 2 miles suck.

6) Best signs on the race: "Worst Parade Ever," "Run a Better Race than Perry."

7) Also, apparently I need to take off my warm headband before taking pictures, yeesh.

It wasn't all rosy race stuff, as I was running the last 3oo meters of the race, I ran by a medic team giving another runner chest compressions. I've seen it a couple times before, but you never get over the finality of that effort. What a sad thing to happen; you just know that he had seen his family, maybe they were waiting in the reunion area, just a few yards away, ugh. I was so glad to read that the paramedics were able to revive him on the way to the hospital.

Now, to get ready for the Austin 1/2 and this time actually run enough beforehand!

Friday Favorite-Jason Wu for Target

2012-01-13T00:00:00.001-06:00

It's no surprise that I've already looked through the newest Target designer line-JasonWu- and I'm once again in love. The line is smart, classic, and fun. And, affordable! I've picked my favorite looks.

From Target via Fashionista

The launch is February 5th. I'll be the crazy one waking up EARLY so I can order these pretties. Hey man, I never did find the Missoni sweaterdress I wanted. I did eventually get the vases, but that's another story...

Jason Wu for Target is my Friday Favorite.

Home Goals 2012

2012-01-11T21:20:00.013-06:00

Now that I'm done with my first party of the year, and a couple of great projects, I feel ready to tackle my "To Do" list. I'm not aiming for a finished house like you see in magazines. That's not us. I think that decorating is a process, you have to figure out what works for you and your way of life. I find things here and there that I like and find places for them, even if they don't make sense to anyone else. (See: my globe collection and vintage Texas wall map.) Yes, the map still has the NOEL letters up (It is WAY high and really hard to get to and...well, pffft!).

I call it "eclectic comfort." It works for us. Well, most of the time. My philosophy probably means that my house will never be "done;" and I am 100% OK with that. To add to the work in progress, these are my top goals for 2012:

Top House projects

Finish Master Bedroom redesign- new artwork over the bed, something like this sign; paint frames in the gallery wall (the mish mash is bugging me), paint dresser, and maybe recover the bench.

Finish Girls Bedroom redesign- hang artwork, stain dresser, add some "oomph" to the curtains

Kitchen- new lights, paint island, new sink and faucet, possibly new blinds for kitchen and living room. OK, take down the NOEL sign!

Would be great, but won't happen: renovate backyard, revamp closet- add color?, decorate guest room-the whole shebang -paint, curtains, art, etc.

I'm linking this to The Nester's Home Goals link party. You should check it out, there are some great plans there. Any top goals for you? New paint? Furniture?

A Bookish Baby Shower

2012-01-09T22:08:00.026-06:00

I've spent the last week prepping for my friend Anne's baby shower. I think I might have been looking forward to the shower as much as she did because I knew I'd see her and I just adore her. PLUS I got to do all the decor. Yesss!!! This was a book shower, which was a really fun theme for me to create. I got to decorate for a wonderful friend and her very soon to be adored baby girl. What's not to love?

...The speeding ticket I got on my way to the shower, but that's another story.
There was a lot of this.
That turned into this book page wreath-after about 3 glue sticks and a couple blisters.

It was part of this. (Check out the nifty book page garland I made using the same process as the comic book garland-LOVE).

And this- a crepe paper "ragamuffin" (tied) garland. The crepe paper garland was a new thing for me. I love how it turned out.
I can imagine making it in different colors for a rainbow theme (or maybe for my daughter's art party this summer), or in blues to look like waves for a mermaid party. So cute. Easy too!

I decorated the food table with different children's books, putting the platters and flowers on top of the books to give the table some height interest. Plus, it looked really sweet.
It was a fun day (except the ticket-grr), and a really surprisingly fun theme to decorate. I had more decor, of course, but managed to reign in my ...ahem... "normal" party decorating. I think that's what some would term "progress." (Some- being my husband) Pfft. I don't have a problem, I don't have a problem...everybody keeps crepe paper in every color under the sun in their house. LALALALA, I can't hear you!

Top Projects-Painting & Parties

2012-01-02T07:50:00.022-06:00

It's a new year, which means I'm busy on a few new projects! Already. Hopefully an early start will encourage me to finish more projects this year. I'm in the middle of a few party projects for my friend's baby shower this weekend. As I was cutting, gluing, and sewing this week, I thought back on a few of my favorite projects of 2011. Not surprisingly, my girls' birthday parties are two of my favorites.

My younger daughter's Wonder Woman/Superhero party. Her party had some of my favorite decorations- the comic book banner and skyscrapers. It turned out so cute & was a blast.

I realized I never blogged about the details of my daughter's Nancy Drew party. I'll have to rectify that. It really was a fun party.

I also love the new paint in the girls' room. I also need to show the room's details and decor; it's the perfect girls' room. This sweet silhouette canvas was the perfect addition to their new room.

I'm linking to Rhoda's Top Project linky, where I'm sure I'll find a few new projects to add to my "To Do" list.

2011 in Review

2011-12-29T21:44:00.021-06:00

I did Linda's annual quiz last year-ha ha, guess what? I just checked to link up and discovered that I never posted it. Oops. Well, anyway, I still think this is a good exercise. So, here goes:

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?

Complete a half marathon!

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I managed to complete some of them, but not nearly enough. Yes, I'll try to stick with a few resolutions-complete 2 half marathons, finish a few decorating projects...

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No, but my dear friend Anne is close-maybe even on my birthday! I can't wait.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit?

Puerto Rico (technically not a separate country, but it’s a territory, it counts) and The Cayman Islands!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you didn't have in 2011?

A sense of peace about my career.

7. What dates from 2011 will be etched upon your memory, and why?

Just the big dates like birthdays and our anniversary. Boring, I know.

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?

Completing the Half marathon. I had so many false starts I began to worry that I would not reach my goal. It sucked in parts, and was hard, and fun, and hard. And, I’m really glad I did it!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Organization. I spent countless hours redoing things or undoing something, or looking for what I was supposed to be doing. 2011 was discombobulated!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Yes, just a touch of the flu. But, man, my poor kids were sick this year. 2011 was the year of vomit and I am glad to see it go!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

The Property. I feel like it’s going to be such a great thing for our family. It has already become a favorite getaway where we can fish, explore, and hunt (the girls and daddy!). On the other side of the spectrum, well fitting bras. On the advice of Pam, get fitted. Then buy quality, it makes such a difference! (HInts: Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, and Soma)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My kids handled lots of changes really well (new school, new friends, etc). I'm really proud of them both.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Sandusky. Enough said.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Taxes, school, and The Property.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Britney Spears and Bon Jovi concerts.

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?

"Forget You", "Pumped Up Kicks," and "Til the World Ends."

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?

I honestly have no idea. I'm richer in laughter and love, how's that?!

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Organize and plan better.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Worry.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

At home, with my family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?

Still in love with my husband and kids.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Homeland, The Vampire Diaries, and I wish I could say Mad Men-PLEASE come back soon!

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

I don’t hate anyone (most of the big baddies died this year. It’s rough being a despotic tyrant). So, how about love- I kind of (totally) love Manny Diaz. I was afraid of how losing Muschamp and his defensive mind would impact Texas. I needn’t have worried, Diaz is freaking awesome. Total crush on that man now. Offense, listen up-you are free now to actually create an Offense, please do so.

24. What was the best book you read?

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" was really interesting,I also enjoyed "Bossypants."

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Adele, did I know about her in 2010? I don’t know. She’s amazing.

26. What did you want and get?

I found some great vintage dresses this year

27. What did you want and not get?

A Pippa Modalu bag, sue me, I’m shallow. That purse is pretty, pretty.

28. What was your favorite film of 2011?

"Crazy, Stupid, Love"-a great flick.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I honestly can't remember. Around my birthday I went to New Orleans for Mom 2.0, does that count?

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

The two Ryans-Gosling and Reynolds.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011?

Classic with a twist in heels and Kendra Scott and kate spade jewelry.

32. What kept you sane?

Define classes. Seriously awesome.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?

Healthcare- it impacts my family and my career and honestly nobody is doing near enough to change what needs to be changed. Change will only come will enough Baby Boomers force the system to change-do you know there are something like 7,000 new Medicare enrollees every day? That’s a huge fiscal and resource impact…ok, got to get off the soapbox

34. Who did you miss?

Tons of people-friends and family, all who live too far away.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

My new co-worker. She’s wicked cool.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

It isn’t worth it to worry about what you can’t change.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

“You can’t always get what you want. But, if you try sometimes, you get what you need.”

Friday Favorite- Christmas Family Time

2011-12-23T22:37:00.008-06:00

Today we spent time as a family just hanging out and doing little projects to get ready for Christmas.
We worked on gingerbread houses...
Ok, modified gingerbread houses. I wasn't going to bake or make a real gingerbread house. So, the girls went to town on these arts & crafts houses I found last year on super sale. They had fun, we watched Christmas movies-win-win.
Ta-da. Gingerbread house. Even though we didn't bake this house, we did some actual baking to prepare for our sweets drop off tomorrow for our friends. Lots of chocolate, cookies, and treats happening in our kitchen. Of course, we realized once we were done that one of our friends has a darling daughter with a nut allergy and all our treats have nuts in them-whoops. Gotta think of a Plan B! All in all, it was a wonderful Friday full of fake and real baking, family snuggle time, and relaxing Christmas time. I hope your Christmas Eve Eve was just as fun.

Family time-my Friday Favorite!

Christmas at our House

2011-12-20T23:25:00.018-06:00

It's Christmas at our house. I didn't quite get everything done that I envisioned (what's new). *I reserve the right to edit this and add any projects I finish in the next 72 hours! But, the house is how we like it (Ok, me and the girls, I'm sure my husband doesn't really care). I stick with pretty traditional colors and themes- red, gold, green, and glitter. Ready for a little tour?
Our dining room-you can see our creche in the background. There's no Mary or Joseph yet since they journey throughout the house to arrive on Christmas Eve. We wait to put baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas morning. The wise men keep traveling around the house until Epiphany. I apparently have rules that must be followed in Christmas decorating!
"New" decor from glass I found at our property. Looks remarkably similar to this one from Pottery Barn. I think I'm might try to rig some lights in these next year. I placed a shed antler next to them, I think I saw West Elm selling those too. I could go into business just from all the stuff I find walking around our property! More deer, this one on our stairs. We could play a game called-guess how many deer are in our Christmas decor. Answer-LOTS!

See?!- another deer. This one is on our mantel with our Elf, Max.And, of course the tree. This year I went with traditional beads instead of ribbons. I didn't fluff any branches. I think it looks a little "Charlie Brown" as a result. Oh well, I still love it. I love that our tree has ornaments that mean things to us, we have bookmarks and pictures and pipe cleaner snowflakes; I wouldn't want it any other way. You can have your perfectly decorated and fluffed tree. I'll take my memory tree any day. Not shown-I couldn't get our tree topper in the photo-our poor crooked little angel. It's hard putting that thing on straight! Just keeping it real here folks.

I'm linking this post to Thrifty Decor Chick's Tree Party and Nester's Christmas Tour of Homes.

That's the tour, at least until I finish another project or two...

Also, look at my pretty, pretty packages! I just had to add them. So cute.

Friday Favorite- Christmas Ornament

2011-12-15T22:11:00.009-06:00

I love the Christmas season. One of my favorite things about Christmas is decorating the tree (artificial, pre lit, I know-it's almost sacreligious). Our tree isn't themed or decorated for an editorial.It has years of memories, handprints, even some dried pasta.
Bookmarks, pipe cleaners, and construction paper with feathers. Why not? Each year I try to add an ornament or two to remind us of the year, maybe a trip we've taken or something we've done. This year, I really enjoyed going to antique markets and finding cool retro objects. It's not surprising that my favorite ornament this year is from the Marburger trip (with Eddie Ross and Tori Spelling). The little reindeer ornament below is part of a set of six intact sweet little ringing ornaments. I have no doubt that it was originally red, but I LOVE the burnt orange color she sports now. Hook 'em! Plus, my life is full of deer now (See also: Ted Nugenty husband and turning into Ted Nugent daughter, talk about deer, multiple purchases of deer corn, where to hunt them, etc.).

My Friday Favorite- my vintage Texas reindeer ornament!

Sharing is Hard

2011-12-13T21:53:00.006-06:00

My daughter needed a candy bar for a school project. (Tangent, I don't recall ever getting to bring candy to school when I was a kid. Hmph). I ended up buying two packages of Reese's, just in case. This meant that we had an extra package of candy in the house tonight. This is a rare occurrence. Somehow the kids convinced my husband to let them have some of the candy before dinner (pushover!). As he was cutting one of the cups in half, our younger daughter M, had the following conversation with him:

"Daddy, there are two."

M, I'm getting it now.

These are two. There are two. There are two. (Said with increasing urgency and volume)

Grabbing his arm forcefully, "Daddy, didn't you hear me?! There are TWO!!"

Nice try, you're getting half.

Love Thursday-Family Traits

2011-12-07T22:16:00.008-06:00

Love Thursday is back! Whoo. Or, more accurately, I finally remembered to actually write something. Whoo?!

It's pretty well established that my husband has somehow turned into Ted Nugent. (Him-"I'm not at all like Ted Nugent, Elz. Ted uses a bow. I use a gun." Me-"The fact that you know that means that you ARE Ted Nugent.") This season, my husband decided that our older daughter can go out hunting with him now that she is 7. This doesn't mean that she's shooting anything, or at least I hope she's not! She basically goes out with daddy and sits in the blind reading or playing with his phone while he hunts. But, it's their thing they do together. Meanwhile, M and I use that time to sleep and snuggle under the warm covers. That's my kind of girl!

Last week my husband took a few days to go on a hunting trip in South Texas. He found a nice buck on Sunday and sent me a text. I briefly looked at the text and photo and thought, "Ugh, gross." I told the girls, "Girls, come over here and see the deer daddy got." Em- "Wow. Daddy got a BIG buck." M- "That's disgusting."

As a follow-up, my husband's statement concerning the deer: "Don't worry, Elz. I didn't order a big mount, I ordered a Texas mount. That means it's just the antlers and the skull." Me-thinking *Lovely.*

Nothing says love like family traits!

Friday Favorite- Christmas List

2011-12-02T21:02:00.028-06:00

December already?! Ack. Time to start making that list. I love making lists and picking out my favorite things; I should have been Oprah. Here's five of my Christmas list favorites:

Via Amazon

Cloth bound classics from Penguin

I love the idea of a set of cloth bound books on display (and for the girls to read). I love this copy of "Anne of Green Gables," and would add "Little Women," Emma," (Ok, all the Austen books!) and "The Secret Garden."

*Edited to add- Guess what was on sale today at Anthropologie? Ha! Got a couple for the girls' room. And, so the collection begins!

Via Target.com

Target Swanepoel hat

I saw the Swanepoel hats for Target the other day and I had to take a moment. I guess it's really not a surprise that I love something from a Target designer collaboration (see also: Missoni, Orla Kiely, and Liberty for Target!). I love these hats, they look like something from the 1940s. Since I love that aesthetic, the hats are perfect. The hats are also completely impractical for my life. Plus, I look terrible in hats. I can't deny it. I MUST have this hat. WANT.

Via Onabags.com

Roma bag from Ona

While I love the camera bag/purse I have (Lola from Epiphanie), sometimes I want to take another bag out and about. There are times I don't want to take my bag traveling; it would be nice to be able to take whatever bag I want and know that my camera is protected. The Roma camera organizer looks like it might be exactly what I want. At $50, it's the right price too. From Ona bags.

Via Modalu.com

The Pippa bag from Modalu. I'm not going to lie. This purse is really the only thing I am DYING to get this Christmas. It is really tough to find nice gray accessories. From what I've read online, the bag has great reviews. It is a bit expensive, but I can see using this bag for years to come. Completely worth it. Also, you can sort of pretend that you have a link to the royal family carrying the bag...maybe?!

Via JCrew.com

J. Crew Heart Me sweater- this is a cheat item since I already bought it! I just love this sweater from J. Crew so much. I think it almost crosses over to the twee, but straddles the line. I plan on wearing it with a beige/tan skirt at work and with skinny jeans on the weekends. Unfortunately, it's sold out online. But, available in stores. J Crew ran a great deal the other day on its sweaters, I called and they found it for me. Crossing my fingers that it fits!

27-25 Goodbye to Texas A&M

2011-11-25T09:40:00.009-06:00

To any Aggies who may be reading this, let me just say, you might want to stop now. Count your blessings that next year the tailgating food in your conference games will be out of this world fantastic.

It's no secret that I am a HUGE Texas Longhorns fan. My blood runs orange. Football is a big part of who I am and what I like to do. Yesterday's game against A&M was a big one. Not because it determined a bowl game or national championship, but because it is the last Texas v A&M game for at least several years. Which means bragging rights for about 10 years. Never mind that Texas has the better record overall. I wanted the win, I needed the win, I COULD handle the win!

I would say parting is such sweet sorrow. But, really it's not. I am so glad that A&M is leaving the conference and SO GLAD that we won.

That's a bit short. I have lots of thoughts on A&M leaving the Big 12 conference and what it means for them in the SEC (not good things, I expect for at least another 10 years), and what it means for us (finally able to make whatever deal we want). Am I a little sad to see a century old rivalry end? Eh. Truth be told, the Texas v A&M rivalry has been much less over the past ten years. As Texas and OU have made more of a national impact on the football field, Texas A&M just hasn't meant that much to us. Don't get me wrong, it's still SO sweet to beat them. But, my sense of school pride has never been dependent on them (ahem, A&M- see also school song, cheers, moves, etc...).

You may wonder why I haven't written that much about this college football season since I love college football so much. Well, for awhile I really didn't know that much about how the Texas team would gel. We have a young team with new Offensive and Defensive Coordinators. I didn't know much about McCoy or Ash, but had high hopes for them. It seemed like every week the team has a new stand-out player. All the newness made it difficult to say anything. Then, I found out about what *allegedly* happened at Penn State, and frankly, I was sick about it for weeks.

But, this win is pretty damn sweet.

So, I have many thoughts. In a nutshell-I'm so glad we won. Also, good God Tucker can you kick longer punts every once in awhile...OK, you made the winning Field Goal, you're forgiven. God, I LOVE Texas football!

Texas beating A&M for the last game in a century old rivalry- Hell yeah, that's a Friday Favorite!

Hook 'Em!

Thanksgiving Thanks

2011-11-24T21:48:00.009-06:00

What a day. I don't know about you, but I enjoyed the HECK out of today. Thanksgiving is such a fun holiday. It's like a giant freebie of time to spend with family and friends without any real pressure other than eating. All you HAVE to do is watch the parade, a little football, and eat. I can handle that!

Today was awesome mainly because my brother and his wife came to spend the day with us with their adorable boys. I got to snuggle my sweet baby nephew and hear the peals of laughter of my other nephew playing with my daughters. Yes, there were tears. And, whining. We forgot the place-cards. Some of the dishes didn't come out exactly as planned. *However, I made some STELLAR dishes, recipes to come later. Oh My Word, amazingness amazing.* Unfortunately, M was ill most of the day. Even if it wasn't picture perfect, the time was well spent. My brother and sister are both in the military so between their job demands, TDYs, and family demands, we don't get to see each other as often as we like. So, it was nice to just have a day to chill. Also, my brother helped me hang my Christmas present (which I am SO excited about). You'll have to excuse me, I have one last football game to watch (TEXAS v Texas a&m) and find about a vat of lotion for my poor dishwater hands!I hope your day was full of food, football, and family.

Friday Favorite-Running for Champagne

2011-11-17T21:16:00.010-06:00

This shirt is genius.

Via etsy seller cherry jean

At least to me. Hat tip to Jennie for the heads up. Now I just need to decide whether I should "run out" and buy one, or if I can wait for Christmas. Either way, I need one. I kind of feel like my running buddies need a few as well!

Go get your run on. And a little bubbly at the same time!

Running for Champagne-my Friday Favorite.

A Friday Salute

2011-11-11T22:27:00.005-06:00

Fridays are usually reserved for an awesome find. Today, I need to salute. To salute all the veterans and their families who have worked to protect our freedom. To salute the brave men and women who complete their missions at home and abroad. To salute the families left behind during combat missions. To salute those in combat, those who support combat missions, and those who protect us in times of peace. Thank you, veterans.

Today I saluted one of my favorite veterans (my husband) by giving him the covers. It was the least I could do!

Perfect Turquoise Paint

2011-11-07T21:27:00.015-06:00

Or: How to Transform a Room into a Tiffany Box

A few months ago I felt the need to paint! and redecorate! You don't start redecorating different rooms before you finsih the first room? Weird. What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment and easily distracted. So, I turned my attention to my girls' room. Their room had been a light lavender and lime color. In case you are wondering, SW Lime Granita. In fact, those colors had been the same ones we used in the nursery. After seven years of the same paint colors, I decided to change it. My daughter desperately wanted turquoise. I picked orange (Mistake #1).

I thought it would be a lovely sherbet color. In my mind I knew it would be perfect with white and pink accents. Notsomuch. It was very BRIGHT. I think it kind of made my kids crazier. After a few weeks of living with the orange, I decided we needed to move to a more soothing color. You can see the color AFTER I tried priming it. That's how bright it was!

This time, I let the girls pick. They picked SW Aqueduct (color matched by Lowe's). Did you know Lowe's color matches? It does-ANYONE's color. Even Benjamin Moore. Amazing. Saved me lots of $$$. I used to be super loyal to Sherwin-Williams. But, the Lowe's brand worked fabulously. Great coverage and about half the price. Also, I paid $$ for the super brand of Sherwin-Williams paint for the awful orange color and was still sort of pissed about that! The other colors below (BM Waterfall, SW Aqueduct, BM Robin's Nest, Valspar Beach Sparkle), all color matched at Lowe's. Lowe's, I love you!
The finished product- Lovely. Thanks again to my wonderfully patient friend Heidi, who came over to repaint what she just helped me finish painting 3 weeks earlier! The girls' room now reminds me of a Tiffany box. The color is perfect and I think it might have calmed my girls down a tad...maybe?! We are thisclose to finishing the room, hopefully with pictures to follow this week. If you're in the market for a new paint color, go to Lowe's. If you're in the market for the perfect shade of turquoise, go with SW Aqueduct. If you need to paint a room, become friends with Heidi!

Secret to a Happy Marriage

2011-11-01T22:16:00.008-05:00

Well, I don't know if this is a secret, more like observations.

Things I've purchased lately: J Crew pumps (on sale), Cole Haan wedges (also on sale). I can't turn down a cute shoe on sale!

Things my husband has purchased lately: a log splitter, a hog trap (for feral hogs), about a million pounds of deer corn

Shows on my DVR: GLEE, Ringer, How I Met Your Mother

Shows on my husband's DVR: North American Hunter, NRA Sports Under Wild Skies, Goin Country, Primal Instinct TV- Bear Hunt

Catalogs I receive- Pottery Barn, Boden, J Crew

Catalogs my husband receives- Cabela's, Midway

Edited to add: Our Kindergartener has homework to disguise Tom Turkey from the hunters. Want to take a guess on what animal my husband is taking our other daughter out hunting soon?

Sometimes I wonder how we are even married. Yeesh. In case you are wondering, yes, I did (unknowingly) marry Ted Nugent!

Monday Diversion

2011-10-30T21:00:00.006-05:00

I know Halloween is everywhere today. But, I just couldn't go with something spooky. I needed pretty and relaxing and the antithesis of...well, life lately. I remarked to a friend yesterday that I think Fall may be the busiest time of year for families. It seems like there is a festival every day. Instead of posting something spooky, I'm posting something serene. A relaxing snapshot from our trip to the Cayman Islands.
Ok, now to get spookified! Happy Halloween.

Friday Favorite- Shoe Perfection

2011-10-20T22:25:00.015-05:00

Photo endless.com

It's not a secret, I love shoes. It seems I'm constantly on the quest for something- the perfect red heel, boot, etc. Lately I've been looking for the perfect walking shoe with a slight heel. I walk my daughters to school every morning. It isn't too far, but far enough that wearing heels is not a desirable option. I only have a few pairs of flats (I'm not really a flats girl), which are OK, except most of my pants are made for heels. This means that I'm either dragging my pants on the ground or pinning them up. At least until I get these, which I think might be the most brilliant thing ever, but I need to try them first-anyway...Neither dragging nor pinning is really what I want to do. So, I've been looking for a wedge. My co-worker recommended the Cole Haan Air Talia wedges. She has moved from exclusively 4 inch+ heels to the Cole Haan Air Talia wedges. She has been trying to convince me to buy a pair for a while and recently forwarded a 25% coupon (Use Code 2011FF + Free Ground Shipping on All Orders Over $150-runs through Monday!), so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did. These shoes are better than I expected. I thought I'd use them primarily for walking, but they are so COMFORTABLE that I may wear them everywhere. I got the deep burgundy and am seriously considering going back and getting the brown or gray. I like that they are stylish AND comfy; you know it's rare to find both in the same shoe! I'm not going to give up my heels anytime soon (kate spade, I love your heels so!), but I may be adding more wedges in my repertoire. You should definitely invest in a pair of these, you won't be sorry.

My Friday Favorite- Cole Haan Air Talia Wedges

Friday Favorite- State Fair Fried Deliciousness

2011-10-13T22:40:00.012-05:00

There is a reason God invented the gym and running. That reason is the Texas State Fair. Oh sure, there are your typical fair foods, the Fletcher's corn dogs and funnel cakes. But, really, why stop there? You must try this- Buffalo Chicken in a Flapjack. Sounds sort of unappetizing, right?- WRONG! It is the BEST. Spicy and sweet and totally delicious. I may have had two of these. What?! The game was terrible, I'm a stress eater.This was breakfast-Fried Bacon. I'm not proud...well, maybe a little. What better way to start the day than with a beer and fried bacon?!? It tasted like fried chicken skin with a hint of smoky bacon. In a word-yum. Also, so rich you could only eat one.

While on the hunt for a Fried Pecan Pie or Fried Brownie (we never found them, so sad), we found these little nuggets of goodness, Fried Frito Chili Pie. Again, looks can be deceiving. This was a frito with chili and cheese, dipped in corn batter and fried. Kind of like a queso chili hush puppy. So delicious.

Needless to say, my husband and I have been eating salad all week to atone for last Saturday. It was worth it though. Fried Fair Food- my Friday Favorite!

Texas Fair- Football and Fried Foods

2011-10-09T20:58:00.008-05:00

This weekend my husband and I went to Dallas to go to the State Fair to see the Texas v OU "game." I have a love-hate relationship with the game. I LOVE when we win and HATE when we lose! Ha. Obviously this weekend, it was more hate than love. Siiiiiigh.

It's fair to say that this weekend was, in turn, familiar, exhilarating, depressing, even more depressing, really depressing, and fun. I'm glad we went, but next year I'd like to: 1) not sit in the Sooner section, 2) bring in a flask if I'm going to sit in the Sooner section, 3) have my team actually SHOW UP to play the game, and 4) find the elusive deep fried pecan pie. On the plus side, the weekend ended with a day of rain; my interpretation was God was wiping clean the slate or crying over the Longohorn's horrible performance. Either way, it was very welcome.

It's a Mystery

2011-09-26T22:37:00.011-05:00

I disappeared for a few days, nothing too nefarious going on. Just got busy planning a Nancy Drew detective/mystery party for a certain 7 year old girl.

Nancy Drew was a semi-last minute party theme (changed a couple weeks ago from Harry Potter.) Obviously my kid LOVES to read! I was a bit worried about the theme, but it turned out "Terrific." The power of google saves the day. I'll share more ideas later. I have to say that each party we throw is my favorite, but this one was really fun. Definitely a great theme for the 7-9 year old set!

Texas Football

2011-09-16T20:30:00.004-05:00

I have a slideshow up on Kirtsy!! I'd love for you all to stop by and see some amazing images that fuel one of my passions. It's not all about Longhorn football either! Go see. Thanks, Kirtsy women for indulging my passion.

Friday Favorite- BHLDN

2011-09-15T23:02:00.025-05:00

You know how Anthropologie is just fun-there’s so many pretty things to look at and try on? And how you feel special and pretty and like a girl just walking in? Well, take that and multiply by about a million and you’ll get close to what it’s like at BHLDN. BHLDN is pure spun glitter sugar- like a perfect macaroon (which they served me on a silver platter-Hello!)I was just going to tell you about my favorite dress of the moment. But, since BHLDN is so new, I thought there might be some brides to be who would appreciate a full run-down to see if the dresses and store are worth it (Cliff Notes version- YES!). *Warning-This is a long post, but the pictures are pretty!* BHLDN is literally breathtaking when you walk in. Every single detail has been thought through. I could have photographed every inch of their space and still not adequately conveyed the feeling of each room. The entrance welcomes you in with a quirky, yet grand flair. The sales staff immediately warmly greeted me; they were the very definition of southern hospitality. They really set the stage for my entire experience. I was not disappointed. *I did not tell anyone that I was going to post anything about the store and my experience, though they gave me full permission to take as many pictures as I wanted.*

After the amazing entryway, you walk into the Blue Room. The Blue Room is full of shoes, accessories, and various adornments (capes, necklaces, etc). I fell in love with the Polka Dot D’Orsays from Bettye Mueller. They are too much- vintage fabric, blue and white. A bride could meet both Something Old and Blue with these. If I had ANYTHING that would have fit these, I would have snatched them up. Maybe not for the price, but I would have thought about it really hard!

Before we got into trying on any dresses, I told my SA, Bobbine (?) what I was looking for- evening dresses, at least one in a shorter length for a Texas themed charity gala. I need the dresses to be special but not too revealing since it is a work-related function. I like a vintage silhouette (no big surprise that the 2 dresses I liked most mirrored designs from the 1950s/60s and the 70s). I also prefer saturated colors. When my dresses were ready, I was led back to the salon through the hall of wedding dresses. Y’all. Just. WOW. Breathtaking. It’s been 10 years since I was in a bridal salon, but I don’t remember it being this breathtaking. The gowns are not only displayed in an amazing fashion, but also are amazing fashions. One of my favorites is the Pinwheel Tea Dress, remarkably similar to Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding dress; which I have always admired. If I were getting married, this would be a heavy contender. Gorgeous.

I tried the Metropolis dress on-technically a wedding dress, but my SA thought the silhouette and length would work well. I LOVED the silhouette and the beading is gorgeous. BUT, there at the middle, where there is a cute cutout? Yeah, that is way open, so when you are talking to someone they basically see your chest. Not cool.

The Ophelia dress is another one that has lovely detailing but definitely chest-acular. The lace has a really pretty sheen/shimmer on it. I can imagine that this would make a great prom or party dress if: 1) you WANTED everyone to see your chest or 2) you altered the dress to include similar lace or a fabric insert up top. I am unwilling to buy a dress in this price range and then have to make modifications.

The Tulle Era dress is technically a wedding dress-but this dress is exactly what I love- a vintage silhouette, interesting details, shimmery, shiny, unique. It was just lovely-all except one tiny detail. But, first, the lovely- the detailing is exquisite. Really well done. This is a Tracey Reese, and she worked in cute little rhinestone buttons all down the back and at the sleeves. If you wore this at your wedding, your guests would thank you for giving them something so lovely to look at during the ceremony. GORGEOUS. But, the sleeves are itchy. Like, really extremely itchy. I think removing the sleeves could easily modify this, but that loses part of the charm of the dress. For $2,400, I’m glad I didn’t fall in love with this dress. Pretty though. SO pretty. (Aside- Dude, what is my hair doing here? Augh. Bad hair day, cute dress)

Next up was the Ribboned Silk Gown in green. My verdict- overly fussy. It looked like a Project Runway dress. I mean that it looked like it was trying so hard to impress you. It had all the bells and whistles- cut on a bias, pleating, draping, ruffles…just too much. It wasn’t me. But, I can imagine this would be a beautiful wedding dress, especially in an outdoor wedding.

Finally the Vivid Fuschia Maxi Dress. This is my dress. It was the dress that sang to me when I put it on. I have never been a big fan of maxi-dresses since they can often look sloppy. This dress changed my mind. It was forgiving enough to allow me to eat at an event, but flowed beautifully when I walked. It didn’t just look like a maxi-dress; it looked like an evening gown. I loved the color, the fit, and the price tag isn’t too bad for an evening dress. I didn’t leave with it since it will not work for my Texas ball at all- I tried this on with 2 ½ inch heels (the Bow Topped Slingbacks) and it really needs the extra height. Also, the necklace they added, the Queen Anne's Lace necklace, was insane. This whole look? LOVED. Loved, did I say that? LOVED.

I can’t say enough nice things about the store itself or the people who work there. Anthropologie really outdid itself. This store is fantastic (I only wish they had a few more formal gowns that fit my needs, COLOR BHLDN, more color would be nice). My SA recently called me to let me know that some new dresses arrived in the silhouette I like, so maybe one of those will fit my needs and my budget! So, that’s my review and my favorite. If you are a bride, get thee to BHLDN. If you are going to any type of formal event, get thee to BHLDN. If you want to feel really pretty, get thee to BHLDN. I’m so happy this store opened in my town. I hope someone I know gets married soon so I can share BHLDN with them. If you are reading this looking for fit answers on any dress, let me know, I tried on many more than what is listed.

BHLDN is my newest favoritest store. Definitely my Friday Favorite.

Life in a List

2011-09-12T21:40:00.012-05:00

Not to be confused with a Life List. I have all these ideas and no time, or time but no ideas. So, you get a list. Exciting, I know.

I was going to blog, but then it was Sunday, 9/11 and it deserved Something. I didn't have something. I wrote and erased and wrote and erased.
My husband took Em hunting this weekend. She said she had a blast, until she came home and saw that I painted her sister's nails. Then, she said "She got her nails painted and all I got was a mosquito bite."
I had a Groupon for a Keratin/Brazilian Blow-out. I was really excited to have pretty, pretty Breck girl hair. It's been about a month and- eh. I think I'll be going natural.
I made the CUTEST birthday invitations ever. Even the printing guy was impressed. Credit where it's due-here.
I am loving the new color in the girls' room. The perfect girls' room color. Shout out to my friend Heidi for painting and repainting with me!
Cross-Fit is no joke. My super fit friend, Karla, ended up in the hospital after a work-out. That is unreal. Scary stuff.
I am really loving hearing "McCoy to Shipley" commentary at Texas Football games again. Also hoping to hear more "Touchdown-Texas!"
I went to Michael's to get supplies for a couple projects. I made a special trip so I could use my 50% off coupon. I was sort of ticked to find out that what I needed was on sale for 60% off, so I couldn't use my coupon. Um, yeah...50% off or 60% off. Not too bright.
It's hard to find a good dustbuster.
I spent an hour looking for my address book. My organization system sucks.
Photoshop drove me to drink. Anyone know of any great classes, books, or tutorials?

Craft Day- Silhouette Success!

2011-09-05T22:17:00.025-05:00

I loved having an extra day this weekend, I got to snuggle my sweet baby nephew, do some shopping, swimming, and finally some crafting! This weekend the girls and I worked on the cutest art project. Silhouette projects are all over, literally everywhere. I love the idea of silhouettes, but never found exactly what I wanted to do. I saw a monogram using dot paint (I believe it was on kirtsy) and thought, hmm...well, that's the start of an idea. I could do silhouettes using dot paints (I must say I thought that was a brilliant idea). We recently repainted and redecorated the girls' room (more pictures & posts coming, it is seriously cute!). The new room is great but needed a few personal touches.

I had a couple extra canvases lying around, so I decided to use them. I took a profile picture of each girl, magnified it and taped around the picture on a canvas. I found that the easiest way to do this is to tape all over the canvas, then trace around the picture and just cut around the picture. I gave each girl a huge selection of paint colors and dot brushes and let them go crazy.

Here they are in the drying stage. I found it really interesting that each girl had exactly the same colors, but their paintings look completely different.

I think the end result is adorable.

I'm linking this project up because I LOVE it so!

Linked at and

Friday Favorite-Game Day Outfit

2011-09-01T21:24:00.016-05:00

via Striped Shirt

FOOTBALL starts tomorrow!!!! I'm so excited. (Prayer- Please, Lord, let this season be better than last season. I know that isn't too hard since last season was a (Greg Davis) abomination. I'm not going to be greedy. How about just a 10 win season? Like we used to have? AMEN)

To get ready for some football, let's talk football fashion.

A couple months ago, Karen introduced me to Striped Shirt. As it turns out, Karen's friend, Laura, came up with a way to fill the gap in fan-fashion. By that I mean, Laura figured out a way to make a shirt that real women can wear to a football game, the grocery store, the park, etc without looking like a walking billboard or worrying about things showing that shouldn't be. That gap is filled by Striped Shirt. I really think these shirts are a gift to female fans everywhere. I love to dress up for game day. In the South you HAVE to dress up for game day. That's not to say that I don't have t-shirts emblazoned with a 13-0 record, or proclaiming 2005 National Champions (of course, I do!). But, I don't really wear those out and about. Truth be told, I mostly wear those to annoy my OU fan husband! I have dresses that I wear to games-yes, it's a Southern thing. But, I had no nice t-shirts for game day. I was excited to be provided with an Orange & White t-shirt to review and I love it.

Foremost I love that it is an alternative to game day dressing that doesn't involve a logo emblazoned across my body, or involve glitter, or ride up when I put my arms up for that Touchdown! Or yell at the ref. I also love that the shirt has held up really well to multiple wearings and washings. As is my practice, I wanted to take my (*free) Striped Shirt out before I reported to y'all. I've worn this short several times, washed, etc. The colors have stayed true and there has been no shrinkage or pilling. The best part is that the shirt is SUPER soft. Like ridiculously soft and actually very light and airy. It has become one of my go-to tops. Striped Shirt doesn't have every team color yet, but several big ones are there. I'm planning on getting another Orange and White shirt for M and a Crimson and White shirt for Em (she supports her daddy's Sooners!). I forgot to mention, the shirts are all under $20. At that price, you can get a whole conference worth of shirts...if you know what conference your team is in! I'll definitely keep wearing this top. I'm thinking it will be adorable with a khaki shirt, some brown boots and a belt for game day. I'll definitely be wearing it when we drive up for the TX v OU game this year!

My Friday Favorite- Striped Shirt

*I was provided a Striped Shirt free of charge. However, all the views represented in this post are my own. I really love this fashionable way to support your favorite team without looking like a walking billboard. Plus, I'm using my own money to buy more, so that should tell you something!

Schooltime Favorites

2011-08-28T21:09:00.011-05:00

One of the things I really love about my kids going to school (Hint-it's NOT shopping for school supplies!) are the "About Me" and "My Favorite Things" work they bring home. It's a little snapshot into their minds when I'm not around. Here are a select few things my daughter Em (2nd grade) wrote: "The best thing that happened to me last year was "- that I went to Puerto Rico; "If I could rule the world, I'd"- make everything to ice cream; "If I had $100, I'd"- share it with the poor; "My pet peeve"- vacuuming. (Nice, babe. Guess who's getting that chore when they are older?!) OK, the fact that she'd share money with the poor and loved our family vacation kind of make up for the vacuuming thing (she gets mad because I vacuum when she's trying to watch TV). She actually included our Puerto Rico trip in a number of her "About Me" pages. It made me so glad to know that the memories we made on that trip are as precious to her as they are to me.

Of course, my younger daughter brought me back to reality. Her answer to "Person you admire the most"- Barbie. UGH. Just what a feminist mommy wants to hear. In our defense, she's not into the dolls, just the movies, books, etc. Great. Best Parents Ever. Maybe it makes some sense; my dream career in Kindergarten was to be Miss Texas. Not even Miss America. I'm sure my parents were really excited to see that homework sheet.

Wednesday -Augh

2011-08-24T21:57:00.004-05:00

All day today I kept thinking it was Thursday. Augh. That's happened to me way too often lately. I even bought an extra calendar to keep me up to date! I can think of no better cure for a wonky week than a pretty picture. Here's one from our recent trip to the Cayman Islands. Ahhhh, much better.

School Days

2011-08-22T21:54:00.010-05:00

*Photo editing all messed up-my girls are not an icky gray color. But, yes, M's toenails are painted blue on one foot, purple on the other.

Today my girls started school. It was kind of a big day for us since it meant that our baby (M) is now in Kindergarten. Sniff. Em was also starting a new school; she had been at the same wonderful private preschool and school since she was three. Thankfully, the new school means that both M and Em now go to the same school. We can walk them to school in the morning after having breakfast as a family. So, lots of changes. I was anxious, not because I worried that the girls couldn't handle the changes. I knew they'd be fine. But, because of my concerns- would my girls meet any mean girls, would the kids accept Em since she is the "new" kid, would it overwhelm them to have so much new at one time, would they adjust to "normal" teaching (they've only been exposed to Montessori for the last 3.5 years), etc.

The first day was a resounding success. It was everything we wanted and more. Their teachers seem like truly special women. I'm sure there will be tough days for both of them. Today wasn't tough. Today was special and fun and exciting; everything a mom could hope for.

Friday Favorite- Missoni for Target

2011-08-18T21:55:00.017-05:00

My love for Target designer collaborations combines my love for fashion and saving money (and Target). Unlike Orla Kiely and Liberty of London (previous Target collaborations), I do not own anything from Missoni. Although I regularly drool over their line. I love the designs and merging of colors and shapes. Unfortunately buying an entire closet full of Missoni doesn't jibe with my daily life or budget. I first heard Target was teaming up with Missoni a few months ago and anxiously awaited the result. I saw the first sneak peek at T&Lo's site and squealed with Glee. I want it ALL. I love it. (OK, really just the sweater and clutch in this outfit-that's a bit much).

Photos via CBS news Missoni for Target

I love the designer collaborations with Target (the ones that have worked have worked well). I think it's such a great way for designers to diversify and open their market up in a way that allows fashion houses to reach a larger audience in a way that gives them complete control over the way their product looks. (As opposed to knock offs like Forever 21 or similar retailers that do little more than steal others' artistic vision.) I think fashion should be more than just something nice to look at, or post to an inspiration board. Fashion should be attainable and wearable and liveable. That's just what this collection is. I'll be there first thing September 13th, how about you?!

Missoni for Target- my Friday Favorite

Wonder Woman Party-the Sweet Stuff

2011-08-16T22:02:00.010-05:00

Is there any more to say about the Wonder Woman party?

Yes, Oh so much more. Today it's the sweet details.

First, the birthday girl requested Wonder Woman cupcake rings. These would not have been my choice for her birthday celebration. Also, Wonder Woman cupcake rings are surprisingly hard to find-thank goodness for Google. Perhaps the simple cupcakes worked out best since my birthday cakes never quite turn out the way I think they will. The cupcakes were pretty funny though- I wanted to make red and blue colored cupcakes (I've done this at least five times before). My husband bought yellow cake mix. Do you know what happens when you put red and blue food coloring in yellow cake mix?- Yup, orange and green cupcakes! Too funny. Oh well.

The Superhero Suckers. I loved how these turned out. If you want to recreate these at home, here's the super easy instructions: cut a template for the cape (I used glitter cardstock), punch a hole in the cape, squish the bottom of the lollipop wrapper through the cardstock. Cut a template for the mask, glue dots, and Bam! Pow! Kazaam! Instant superhero. I just found these on etsy, so you could go that route instead.

The Aggie-SEC Saga

2011-08-15T21:40:00.042-05:00

We have 16 days before College Football starts, which means that its time to start talking about and obsessing over conference realignment. Woo-hoo! I love conference realignment talk almost as much as a Buffy marathon, shark swim, Tim Gunn meeting, and Kate Spade shoe sale combined. Almost. Last year there was a lot of chatter about Texas A&M moving to the SEC. A little over a year later, the chatter has increased. As of today, it looks like the move is imminent-though halted. *I recommend reading articles from Frank the Tank, Sports Illustrated, Kirk Bohls, and espn for more in-depth analysis.

Why are the Aggies thinking about moving?- In my opinion, the biggest reason behind the most recent rumors of a move to the SEC is the Longhorn Network. Maybe not directly, but indirectly. Once again Texas has something the Aggies don't and it doesn't make them happy. Not only is the Network a huge financial jackpot for Texas, it is a recruiting dream. (And, oh YES, I LOVE it!) Since the Longhorns aren't about to give up the Network, A&M is going to make it as uncomfortable for the rest of the BIG 12 as possible. Ultimately though, it's all about the money. (Not a dig against A&M, every major college football decision in the last 20 years has been about the money.)
Money, recruits & the future-there's more of it in the SEC. If the SEC accepts A&M to the conference, they can renegotiate their TV deal and probably make the most lucrative deal to date. A&M will have more money, which is good, because they'll need it. They will need to make A&M more attractive to a higher level of recruits; either in sports facilities or professors, etc. A&M's recruiting has fallen off in the last decade compared to the great classes snagged by Mack Brown and Bob Stoops. SEC schools have great recruiting classes because they have so much to offer recruits. A&M will be able to offer its recruits the chance to play on a stronger stage and wider audience. However, that stage will have a higher caliber of team and A&M will need to rise to meet the SEC.

What does it mean for A&M? -My perspective is that A&M will likely be right where they are now. Occasionally they get a high ranking, but almost always end up around a .500 season, only one conference championship and one BCS Bowl. Examining the bowls they have played in results in a 5 bowl losing streak (3 of the 5 losses were against SEC teams). And, that’s OK. Not everyone can win a National Championship (multiple times) or have Heisman candidates, but they will have money. *I should clarify here that this might be OK for the Aggies, but it most certainly would NOT be OK for Texas. I could barely handle one bad season, multiple seasons of less than 10 wins-NO.* The SEC is a strong conference. As much as it kills me to say this, they are the strongest football conference. The rest of the SEC's sports are pretty impressive as well. I think A&M will be at the bottom, or near the bottom of the SEC in most sports for quite some time. A&M isn't that strong in basketball (no conference championship, only one sweet 16 appearance in the past 15 years), while the rest of the SEC is pretty good. The SEC is even better as baseball, which is usually a pretty good sport for A&M. However, in a few years, the recruiting might be stronger for A&M than it is now, not because A&M will necessarily win more but because they will be playing at a higher level and on a stronger field. Clearly A&M is not going to make the move to the SEC because they think they can immediately win the conference.
What about the State?- This is where I think the deal gets held up a bit. A&M is a state supported school and, as such, has always had significant strings to what it can and can't do. The fact of the matter is that Texas and A&M have been a package deal since, well...the beginning. The only reason that the Big 12 exists as it does is because the state mandated that Texas and A&M make sure a couple of the smaller schools (Tech and Baylor) got taken care of. I don't see the Legislature allowing A&M to make a sweet deal for itself that leaves Tech swinging in the wind. Not without repercussions. A&M may be able to smooth some feathers by bringing in the SEC money and reducing the amount of appropriations they need from the state. That could work. Or, negotiating with the SEC to invite Tech, that could work too. Bear in mind that A&M is dealing with state elected officials who are probably getting pressure from constituents to maintain the Texas-A&M rivalry, so A&M needs to make sure that the Legislature at least feels like they are exerting some control over the situation. That said, A&M has never gotten the lion's share of appropriations before, so maybe they don't mind if their share is reduced. Maybe they think that there will be enough SEC cash flowing in to off-set the reduction.

What does it mean for the Texas-Aggie rivalry? -The Texas v A&M rivalry is far less than it was 20 years ago, even less than it was 10 years ago. The fact of the matter is that Texas vs Oklahoma has become far more important a rivalry than A&M. In fact, for many years, the Texas versus Oklahoma game was basically a National Championship. During that time, Texas A&M created a new rivalry with Texas Tech, which makes more sense given their similar playing levels and school composition. This is not a dig because I am a Longhorn and dislike A&M (some of my best friends are Aggies), these are the facts. I would happily debate anyone who still believes that Texas v A&M is THE rivalry it used to be. There are a number of schools that have cross-conference rivalries. I believe that Texas and A&M will always schedule games against each other, whether or not they are in the same conference. We are looking at generations of history, you don't throw away that tradition.

Does it kill the Big 12?-Probably, but we knew that a year ago. Alternately, the Big 12 could expand (back to 12-ha ha!). I don't like that option as much. I'd rather see Texas and Oklahoma go to another conference, or even start their own conference, maybe bring Tech, OSU, Notre Dame...hmmm... that would be fun! It means we can FINALLY write our own ticket. Texas is the pretty girl everybody wants to dance with. Still. Yes, we have our own Network and a lot of conferences won’t want to deal with that. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways around that. Other conferences have regional networks, there's no reason why Texas couldn't bring the Longhorn Network with it to the Pac-10 or Big Ten. The benefits of having Texas in your conference still outweigh Texas with its own network, just ask Dan Beebe. Texas could 1) negotiate with ESPN, 2) Create a new conference from disenfranchised teams tired of their conferences, 3) go to a new super conference of 16 somewhere….the options really are endless.

I LOVE conference realignment talk, so this is all fascinating to me. I wish the Aggies well if they decide to go to the SEC. I don’t think it is the panacea they think it is. And, frankly I think it boils down to whining about what Texas has (EARNED) that they do not have. I would love the creation of four or five super (16 team) conferences. Basically that would create a de facto playoff system. That is very much needed and would be exceedingly entertaining. The drawback to the super-conference idea is the death of the little guys like BYU and SMU. That said, I have LONG maintained that the little guys just do not play consistently at the same level as the big ones; it's not even apples and oranges. If A&M moves to the SEC, it opens the state up to more recruiting pressure from the SEC. I'm OK with that since there are a TON of very talented football players in Texas and it’s big enough for everyone. I also think that there are legions of great football players who are born and bred to love Texas and will sign up to play for Texas because all their life they've dreamed of wearing a Longhorn uniform. It doesn't much matter whether that uniform is in the Big 12, Pac-10, Big Ten, SEC, or any other conference. You play Texas football. It is what it is.

Friday Favorite-Wonder Woman Tiara & Bracelets

2011-08-11T21:53:00.008-05:00

Image via maycouture

When my daughter said she wanted a Wonder Woman party, I knew I would need two awesome Wonder Woman outfits (one for her and one for her sister). I was all too happy to make sure I had awesome outfits for the girls (Wonder Woman-heck yeah). The girls and I made shirts, I made skirts (after some trial and error), so I just needed tiaras and bracelets. I searched the web for tiara and bracelet tutorials and even found a couple that didn't look too difficult. Fortunately I realized that I couldn't do it all (THAT was a big realization for me!) But, maycouture could. She made these great Wonder Woman tiaras and bracelets for my daughters. Her prices are extremely reasonable, she was super fast, and just generally a great seller to work with. She also makes really cute Princess Leia costumes-perfect for Halloween!

Wonder Woman Accessories-my Friday Favorite

Superhero-Wonder Woman Party Decor

2011-08-09T22:02:00.026-05:00

You know what is lucky? Planning a Wonder Woman/Superhero themed party right around the 4th of July. JACKPOT. In fact, so jackpot that I ended up returning a ton of decorations (stars, etc) that we just didn't need.

I already showed you my fabulous door signs. But, it's my blog, so here they are again. The W was turned into an M for "Wonder M" and S to an M for "Super M." I LOVED these door and window decorations.

Probably the easiest and most eye catching decoration was the Wonder Woman garland. I followed the directions from One Charming Party. It involves using vintage Wonder Woman comics (I got mine from eBay), then sewing into a length of bias tape (I used double folded red). Voila! Instant decor. The only problem with this decoration is that it KILLED me to take them down. I pretty much want to redecorate our house using these; they are so awesome. I can imagine using a similar process for a little boy's room. Or, perhaps they might be a starting place for my future redesign of the girls' playroom/study area?! Hmmm...

I'm big on recycling, so I used the covers from the comic books to hang in our kitchen (where I normally display artwork). The extra (un-cut) comic books were displayed for the adults to read during the party. The page scraps were used in the frame project I wrote about yesterday. I got plenty of Pow! Bang! out of those comic books!Loved the skyscrapers. LOVE these. So easy. I've seen them using black, silver, and white paper. Basically, you wrap varying sizes of large boxes in craft paper and then cut & tape paper for the windows. So easy it's ridiculous. These made awesome photo props of the kids "flying" over skyscrapers. They were also handy when the boy superheros used them to launch balloons at the rest of us. My teenage next door neighbor helped me make these-what a sweetheart! Of course there were poufs. I had to. I have some weird compulsion to make poufs for every party; I can't help it. I also had YARDS of tulle to use since I bought it when I envisioned making floor to ceiling gathered columns. But, I decided that I liked the comic book garlands so much that I didn't need any additional decorations. I used the tulle on our stairway instead. I guess the upside is I now have yards of extra tulle for...well, anything because I have a ton of it! Thankfully tulle is pretty cheap when you have several Hobby Lobby coupons!

The last decoration I made was a quick and easy garland using a pdf file of Wonder Woman, the number 5, my daughter's name, etc. These button garlands are pretty quick and easy. I probably would have used more of these, but I loved the comic book garland so much more.

Add a few stars and balloons here and there, and that was our decor. My favorite was the comic book garland. Or the skyscrapers, or the door signs....it was a Super fun party to decorate!

Super Superhero Party Activities

2011-08-07T20:57:00.022-05:00

Back to the party!
My daughter's Wonder Woman/Superhero party was Super fun to plan. I had tons of ideas, thanks in part to so many great parties on the Internet. Gotta love google. In case you are plannign a Super Wonderful party, here's my activity plan (and lessons learned!).

You can see from the picture above the list of the activities we had at the party. I tried to pick those aimed for the 4-7 crowd.

Create a Cape

I made a basic cape shape out of felt using a superhero cape we already had as a template. I used a Martha Stewart template to cut out a bunch of other felt shapes like lightning bolts, hearts, etc., provided glue and let the kids go. I used velcro dots to "secure" the capes. If I had time, I would have sewed the velcro on; that would have been a great idea. You really need to use something stronger to hold the cape- maybe ribbon or something laced through the cape. I'd also stay away from gluing felt. It doesn't really hold that great and was difficult to use. I'd concentrate on either choosing iron ons or stickers.

Save a Superhero
Using a Wonder Woman character (from a book), I printed out several "heroes" and hid them all over the living room. Each kid needed to "save" one. If I had to do it over again, I would print out WAY more and hide them everywhere. The kids really loved this game and you could easily turn this into a larger game. It would be fun to assign point values for the characters-like the ones up high are worth x, the ones hidden really well are y, etc. I would also have made this game last through the entire party, so kids could keep "finding" heroes and then you could give prizes at the end.

Frame Yourself
I Loved this idea- mod podge vintage comics (what I had left over from making the Wonder Woman banner-oooh, need to show you that!) on wooden frames for cute favors. The problem was that the kids got sort of stalled here. They either LOVED it and spent tons of time at the table, or they got really bored and left quickly.

Mask Mania

There are a ton of mask tutorials, but I have been traveling all summer and I knew I wouldn't have time. So, I ordered masks from The Red Knot. What a great deal-they were reasonably priced, shipped quickly, and look fantastic. I used foam stickers, sequins, etc. In retrospect, I would just stick with paint pens and stickers, the glue was pretty temperamental.

Vaporize Villains

My daughter made three requests for her party: 1) Wonder Woman, 2) Cupcake rings, 3) Silly String. Vaporize Villains fulfilled her Silly String request. Who doesn't love Silly String?! I used a coloring book to find pictures of villains, blew them up and stapled to our fence at varying levels. Then, we let the kids go wild. Easy and fun.

Roll over Crime

We have a huge blow up hamster ball (the kids can get in and roll around). So, each kid (who wanted to), got to "Roll over crime" over the front yard. The kids loved it. The only drawback was the weather- it was probably 100 degrees that day. Our ball is similar to this one.

There you have it, a Super Wonderful party. Next up, the decor, my favorite part!

Love Thursday- Back to School

2011-08-04T12:05:00.005-05:00

I've finally found the true test of love: a mother's willingness (stupidity) to venture into Target and go back to school supply shopping. Remember when getting school supplies was fun! and exciting!? It's not like that anymore. It is full combat shopping. I can compare it only to those "Midnight Madness" warehouse sales Harold Powell used to have-C-R-A-Z-Y. The poor Target employees were restocking the shelves faster than you can say "What type of manilla paper do I need?" I went yesterday at lunch, thinking a weekday two and a half weeks before school would be relatively stress free. WRONG! Also, can somebody tell me why you have to get a specific brand of folder or erasers? Doesn't it all accomplish the same purpose? Is it to make parents go crazy before the school year starts???!!!

Of course the girls' school has an online supply order form, that I found out about 2 days after the orders were due...Augh. So, I bought what I could and came home to find an invitation from the PTO inviting me to an event WHERE THEY WILL BE SELLING SCHOOL SUPPLIES. Then, my head exploded.

The things we do for our kids. That's Love, man.

Friday Favorite: Itsy Bitsy Bikinis

2011-07-28T22:53:00.013-05:00

Photo from SouthBeachSwimsuits

My husband told me that we were going on a trip, but kept the location secret. I figured there would be a beach, and hopefully it would be relatively secluded. I decided to go completely out of my comfort zone and and buy some sexier bikinis. I immediately found the Vitamin A line. I tried the wrap-around top, although it fit the bill in terms of va-va-VOOM, it was a MAJOR wardrobe malfunction. (If you have anything up top, I would caution you not to get the suit unless you plan on remaining perfectly still the entire time.) I found two bikinis by Vitamin A that fit the bill- great quality, sexy, daring, but not too showy. The Vitamin A line tends to run fairly expensive, but I've found great deals on 6pm.com and ideeli. While I wouldn't wear the bikinis for pool parties or play dates, sometimes you need a little sexy in your life. Actually, a lot of sexy. Sometimes going outside of your comfort zone can be well worth it.

Vitamin A swimwear my Friday Favorite.

Love Thursday: Chaperones & Butterflies

2011-07-28T09:21:00.005-05:00

I had another post all set for today. Then, my husband surprised me (well, our daughter) and I had to change it up. My husband works from home. He works from home pretty much all day-from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed. Actually, all the guys he works with do. It's great because they are all focused on being successful and helping the company to be successful, but sometimes you just want him to turn the darn phone off. Anyhow...even though his schedule can be pretty flexible, he likes to stick with a schedule. Today our older daughter, Em has a field trip to the Butterfly Exhibit. Apparently her teacher impressed upon my husband the need for chaperones on this trip. Clearly, going to the Butterfly Exhibit is high on his list of things he'd like to do. An important note, he asked last night whether we'd been-um, yes probably three times as a family, twice with our extended family, and a couple times with friends. Clearly the Butterfly Exhibit is his favorite place to go, very memorable. Anyhow, he decided to take some time off of work to chaperone a bunch of 6 & 7 year olds today. It made our daughter SO happy to know that her daddy would be with her today. It made me happy to know that he made the decision to make time for her. That's the most important decision. To make time for those you love.

Happy Love Thursday. Today, make time for someone you love.

Coconut Shrimp: the Taste of Summer

2011-07-24T21:37:00.015-05:00

Yesterday our good friend, T came over for lunch. In exchange for the delicious wine she brought, great travel stories, compliments (my bangs are apparently tres European! Who knew?), and bringing her N to play with our girls, we made what is fast becoming our go-to summer recipe, Coconut Shrimp.

I found this recipe in the amazing "On a Stick" from Matt Bites' Matt Armendariz. We've made a few minor modifications to create Coconut Shrimp perfection...well, as perfect as you'll get without a beach and tropical location!

Coconut Shrimp

12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined*

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 egg

3/4 cup Sweetened coconut flakes

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 cup panko crumbs (approximately)

vegetable oil

*The recipe makes plenty of breading & flour, you could easily make 20 shrimp with the recipe.

Combine flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper in a shallow dish; beat egg in a separate bowl. In a third dish, combine coconut, almond meal, and panko. Dredge shrimp in the flour mixture, shake each one off, then dredge in the egg, then dredge in the coconut mixture. Place each shrimp on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat with each shrimp. Refrigerate for an hour. Preheat skillet (we've used both a fryer and a skillet and find a skillet with a small amount of oil works just as well as a fryer without so much waste). Lightly fry, turning once. Serve and enjoy.

Our whole family enjoys this meal. Once you have the ingredients, it's super easy to make. We've made with small shrimp without tails, but find that the larger shrimp retain the mixture and coating better. We've also made the recipe without almond meal and it still tastes fine, just substitute regular flour for the almond mill flour.

Please excuse the weird pictures, we had a pool playdate and I was more interested in eating and talking than photo styling!

Friday Favorite- BRITNEY SPEARS

2011-07-21T22:04:00.012-05:00

I bet you thought today's Favorite was going to be Grand Cayman (it was totally awesome). No, today I am focusing on the concert I went to the night before our vacation...Ms. Britney Spears. Y'all-AMAZING.

I'm just a wee bit excited here. I have been a long time Britney fan, even when it was totally uncool to like her (I've never been accused of being cool). I'm a huge goofball dancer and love rocking out to her songs. When I tell people how much I love Britney, they inevitably say something about her singing. It's true, Britney is not the best singer out there, but she's a GREAT entertainer. Example 1: Celine Dion has a fantastic singing voice, but I don't have a single one of her songs on my ipod or CD and would never go to her concert, even if it was free; but I have ALL of Britney's songs and CDs and have been to two of her concerts. My friend and I saw Britney last year on her "Circus" tour and it was amazing. A true production. "Femme Fatale" was completely different and awesome-if not awesome-er. We went with our new co-worker (who is quite the concert goer) and we all agreed that Britney puts on one HECK of a show. She is pure entertainment. And, yes, she sings. What I love about her concerts is the fact that you never sit down. Her songs are all so danceable and singable, and shoutable so you just keep moving through the whole concert. As does she. The woman does not take a break the entire time. She earns her money.

We were all really impressed with Nicki Manaj, Brit's opening act. Nicki, like Britney, puts on a complete show. There is a storyline and songs that naturally flow. Her opening was sort of weird in parts and full of nasty language-Nicki has quite the potty mouth-but a really good show. Last year Britney's opening act was Jordin Sparks, who has quite a bit to learn about performing and opening a major concert series (good voice but meh presentation).

Britney's encore ended with "Till the World Ends" as she was singing aloft a floating platform in angel wings, with fireworks and glitter confetti going off. Of course. It TOTALLY worked. Because she's Britney, bitch. It was perfect. Take my word for it, go see Britney if you ever have the chance, you will not be disappointed. If you are going to her concert, make sure you see Nicki Manaj open the show (then take the 45 minute break! to get your concert t-shirt, they are super comfy).

Oh, and y'all, the outfits. OMG, not Brit's outfits, they were fine and a bit showy. No, the concert attendees. My word. I was DYING to take pictures-lots of short, tight, too small, ripped, and neon...why?! One lady was walking around in patterned tights and lingerie-no kidding. It did not look good. The bedazzling and glitter and chains, oh my! The wigs were pretty interesting as well.

Britney Spears concerts- my Friday Favorite

On Holiday-Cayman Style

2011-07-16T09:02:00.003-05:00

Whoops, sort of left you hanging on the party details. Well, those will have to wait a few more days. My husband and I are enjoying sunsets like this one in the Cayman Islands! It's been wonderful and relaxing and tropical and delicious and great. I'm off to enjoy some more sun, sand, and maybe a few rum drinks. Hope your weekend is equally relaxing.

Super Superhero Party Invitations

2011-07-12T07:08:00.011-05:00

Let's start at the very beginning...I like my girls' birthday parties to be as handmade as possible. It keeps it nice and low(er) key. I usually try to set the mood with the invitations. For the Wonder Woman/Superhero party, I thought about capes, lassos, or even cutting paper and making one that looked like the door sign I posted yesterday. The girls also practiced drawing a Wonder Woman image to use for the invitation like this one. I was bummed that I couldn't find or make exactly what I imagined in my head. But, time was running out and time was short, so I used the invitation that came in the One Charming Party package. I then packaged the invitation in glitter card stock to create an opening for the invitation and secured the invitation with a Superhero cut out (you could easily use stickers). The only additions I made to the invitation were: I called our home "Superhero Central" and had the parents contact me as "The Commissioner" with their RSVPs. I love little details like that; they really do make a difference. It turned out "super" cute and I ended up really liking it. It just goes to show me that, once again, it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!

Most of the invitations said "Capes and Masks will be provided. Please bring your superpowers." This one must have been my first one!

Wonder Woman Party in Pictures

2011-07-10T21:56:00.009-05:00

This Saturday we celebrated my (no longer quite so young) youngest daughter's 5th Birthday. She chose a Wonder Woman theme (YES!). I had so much fun coming up with decorations and activities; she had so much fun celebrating with her friends. I'll break the best (and the not so great) down step by step over the next few days. Until then, enjoy the first of the "Wonder"ful pictures.

Ten years

2011-07-07T14:56:00.004-05:00

Today marks my husband and my 10th Anniversary. I am ridiculously proud of us. I just love him so darn much. I'm not going to get all sweetly romantic on you because my husband still hasn't found his way over here, so there is no use in writing a love missive to him. Anyway, that's not his bag. I will say that I love that man more than Buc-ee's kolaches, Buffy tv marathons, new shoes, and chocolate...possibly more than a Longhorn National Championship. That said, here are a couple snippets from our Anniversary:

Him "Do I REALLY have to get you a card?"

Me: "Yes."

Him: "Well, what if I get you the same card?" (This has happened MULTIPLE times)

Me: "Just look for the one with a 10 on it."

What I got- a card entirely in Spanish. "I knew I had not gotten you that card yet." -Nice.

At dinner, "our song" starts playing on the radio, but in French.

Me: "It's our song."

Him: "Really?"

Me: "Yes."

Him: "Did they play this at our wedding?"

Me: "Really?!"

Ah, Love. Happy Love Thursday.

Texas Sized News

2011-07-04T20:58:00.008-05:00

Remember how I had a big project, perhaps the biggest yet? Well...

I welcome you to our little piece of Texas. My husband and I have dreamed about owning our own piece of ranch property for years and we finally found one that fit what we wanted and, better yet, our close friends bought right next to us.

Here she is...Casa de la Cougar (an inside joke not the real name).

I wanted something a bit more quaint, but we got rustic. That's OK, rustic has a claw foot tub, so we can work with it.

The obligatory Wide Open Spaces.

Believe it or not, that brown thing in the middle of the next photo is a pond. Once we get some (much needed) rain, we plan on stocking it with fish. Until then, our lovely neighbor to the North offered to let our family come fish in his pond, which thankfully has both fish and water right now!

Loved this metal and wood table, the axe laying around? Notsomuch...

There you have it, our little piece of Texas. Plenty of things to do inside and out. Y'all come back anytime.

Friday Favorite- Swamp Shark

2011-06-30T22:48:00.006-05:00

There can be only one Friday Favorite today...(cue "Jaws" music)...

SWAMP SHARK. For lack of better words-Totally awesome. While explaining the awesomeness of this movie to some co-workers, I realized that many people don't know of the other great campy/fake terror/sci-fi movie "Tremors." I'm stunned. How can you NOT have seen "Tremors"? Kevin Bacon AND Reba McEntire plus underground dinosaur worm thingys. That's just classic movie making. Almost as classic as D.B. Sweeney and Kristy Swanson battling a mutant shark in the swamps of Louisiana. "Swamp Shark" also has the following paraphrased dialogue: "Give him the phone, he's a federal agent. He can call the Fish & Wildlife SWAT team." Also, the director of "Swamp Shark" tweeted me, which pretty much wins for best use of social media!

Tell me, have you seen "Tremors"? What's your favorite campy sci-fi flick?

Swamp Shark is my Friday Favorite.

Out for Business

2011-06-27T19:33:00.003-05:00

Oops, so I kind of disappeared. I spent last week preparing for a business/fun trip to Boston and had zero time to post. I arrived in Boston Saturday and spent time hanging with my Bestie and her family. She fed my soul. And, also my stomach-man, Boston has great food. She's the friend who actually watched "Swamp Shark" with me and paused it when I left the room. That's love. (*Side note, BEST worst movie ever. It might actually deserve a post. Awesomely bad.) I'm still in Boston for the business part of my trip. So far it's been crazy busy and packed with learning all sorts of interesting (to me) legal developments. I'll be back in a few days. Until then, I've got some Trader Joe's shopping and apparently more eating to do!

Have a great time.

Lessons Learned- The Painting Edition

2011-06-19T21:11:00.023-05:00

This weekend, in the middle of planning a handmade birthday party for M, going out of town for five days on business, then three to four days on a mini vacation, I decided to paint the girls' room. Not one of my best ideas. Thankfully I conned my friend Heidi into helping me; Heidi is a whiz at cutting in-ridiculously fast. Painting the girls' room was one of those paint projects that you think will take 4 hours TOPS. Well...we started painting around 10:30am Saturday, I stopped at 10PM. Actually, I finished touch ups Sunday around 11am, almost exactly 24 hours later. FUN TIMES. In my defense, we are expecting delivery of bunk beds for the girls any day so I wanted the painting completed before the new furniture is assembled.

Lessons Learned:

1) The adorable bird mural I painted years ago WAS cute.

2) It would have been cuter if I could have painted over it without it bleeding through.

3) I don't care if everyone else thinks they are going out of style, wall vinyl decals are my new best friend. I am never, repeat this, never painting a mural again.

4) PRIMER

5) PRIMER, for the love of God, woman buy PRIMER.

6) Four coats is really not any fun. At all.

7) Read the paint can before you paint- Note: Primer recommended for this paint. Noticed that little tid bit when I opened the second can of paint for coat number three.

8) Thank God for my husband who watched four kids so Heidi and I could paint...I might have thought about hurting him later when he said, "Hmm, that looks...kind of...yellow." (It's orange).*Pictures as soon as possible, it took awhile to load these since I'm still figuring out how to use the editing software.

9) Next time, I am saving my money and getting our contractor to paint a bunch of rooms all at once. Seriously-gah-augh-ouch.

Friday Favorite- Samuel L Jackson "Go the F--- to Sleep"

2011-06-16T21:53:00.005-05:00

This is NSFW but SO funny. Most every parent I know has reached this point many, many times, especially when the kids are small. My husband has a Samuel L. Jackson app that he likes to play at random, so this is really hilarious to us.

Love Thursday- The Beginning

2011-06-16T08:29:00.004-05:00

Last we left our intrepid student, she (me-OK, I'm switching back to first person because 3rd person kills me)...I was heading to the Job Fair for the pediatric patients. Although I really didn't see the point, I decided to take Debbie's advice and look a little more presentable than usual. I was later very glad that I put forth that minimal amount of extra effort. I sat at my station and pretended to know what I was doing (surprisingly very few people had any interest in future lawyers, go figure). Before we got started, Debbie introduced me to her boyfriend's friend (got that?!), Nate. Nate was there representing the Army as he recently finished serving in the Army. And, that was it. He was cute and funny. I thought, "Hmm, this guy has potential." I'll eventually go over and talk to him...wait...there they go rushing off to the Matagorda County Rodeo. Clearly Nate was interested in the finer things in life.

The next week I arrived for my volunteer duties and (possibly mercilessly) questioned Debbie about Nate. All the basic facts; enough to let her know I thought he was cute and could she pass him a note! (Kidding, but I would have) Being such a good friend, Debbie arranged for Nate and I to meet up at the annual volunteer Spring Fling a few weeks later. Debbie managed to get Nate and I to sit at the same table. Shortly thereafter we had our first dance (I have the picture to prove it but alas my stupid computer hates pictures right now). At the end of the night we waited and waited for Debbie's car. I was supposed to ride home with Debbie, but the valets decided they didn't want that to happen and conveniently "lost" Debbie's car for hours. Nate offered to drive me home. After quizzing Debbie about Nate- Do you know him well? Does he have a history? Ever been convicted of a crime? Can you write down his license plate and car model number in case I disappear? You know, the usual, I rode home with my future husband.

Help & A Winner

2011-06-13T21:19:00.013-05:00

I don't claim to be a computer guru. In fact, I'm probably the least capable computer person I know. Seriously. No exaggeration. My brother recently raved about a photo editing app, Aperture, so I downloaded it. It is pretty awesome. However, I can not figure out how to download/upload (whatever) photos from my Aperture library to my blog. I have good photos too- crafting failures-epic failures and a success. And, snakes! All sorts of exciting things. Does anybody know how to load photos from Aperture to Blogger? Kind and patient Megan tried to help me to no avail. Maybe I just have bad computer mojo. Anyhow, I'd be eternally grateful. Thanks!

While I'm working on my computer issues, the winner of the Novica contest is...Emily! Yay, Emily is my early morning Define partner, so the girl ought to get something special for that! Her win was entirely random; I'd show you pictures of the drawing but I have no way to load them!! Thank you all for your support. Even if you didn't win, Novica has great prices, go and find something pretty today!

Love Thursday-The Beginning

2011-06-09T20:38:00.003-05:00

Love Thursdays are back!

In less than a month, my husband and I will celebrate our 10^th wedding anniversary. And people said it wouldn’t last- phshaw. I thought it would be fun (for me) to chronicle some of our story here each week. I love learning about how people met, fell in love, etc. I hope our story will remind you of your special love stories.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far away… called Houston, a young law student (me) was busy volunteering at a local cancer hospital. Every week she would go to the pediatric department of that large hospital to play bingo with the patients, make arts & crafts, read stories, or play games. Every week she also got to see people who later became good friends (Hi Alex (sometimes), Hi Debbie). Her friend Debbie was part of the volunteer program and asked our young student to represent lawyers at the job fair for the patients. Sure. Not that she knew anything about being an actual lawyer, but sure. Debbie reminded our young student, “Oh and be sure to look nice that evening.” “Right, like I’m going to meet some hot guy in the Pedi Dome” she said as she flew out the door. Fast forward a week and that is exactly what happened... (To be Continued)

*Don't forget to enter the Novica Giveaway, you have one more day!

My Newest Obsession- Copper Lights

2011-06-05T20:31:00.017-05:00

I have a new obsession-bad. Copper lighting.

This chandelier version from one of my favorites, Barn Light Electric.

Photo Barn Light Electric

This one also from Barn Light Electric (it comes in copper, just scroll down

Photo Barn Light Electric

Oh, this one from Williams Sonoma

Photo Williams Sonoma

Even the restaurant where I ate dinner with my family this weekend had tremendously awesome copper reproduction pendants. Terrible service, but awesome lights! (No pictures because I was busy chewing my arm off...)

It's like the universe (God?) WANTS me, no is MAKING me replace my ugly kitchen fixtures with copper. Now if the universe could make about $1,000 appear because I don't think spray painting something copper is quite the same. Unless you've seen spray paint copper look good, then I'm all ears!

Friday Favorite- Novica Giveaway!

2011-06-02T20:14:00.028-05:00

You may recall that my husband and I love to travel to Mexico. Our last travel to Mexico was spent at the wonderful Capella Ixtapa, which served their drinks in local artisan glass. We loved their colored rimmed glasses. Upon our return to the States, I found some similar glasses, but they weren't dishwasher safe. Do you know what that is? A real PAIN. I found other options, but I worried about the possibility that they had lead or would crack or chip....

All photos- Novica

Then, I found these. Cue the angels singing. Handmade from Mexico. Dishwasher safe. Can I get an "Amen"?! I found them at Novica, with about a million other items I wanted. In fact, the hardest part of my Novica order was deciding what to get. When Novica approached me to participate in a blogger marketing outreach, I jumped at the chance. I respect the bloggers they have worked with in the past and know that they sell quality products that support artisans around the world. Plus, I really wanted some machine washable glasses!

I found Hammocks, I know the girls would love taking a weekend nap in this one. Heck, I want to take a nap in that hammock!

I also perused Novica's Corporate gifts, including the glasses for entertaining and this great leather portfolio (which would also make an awesome gift for a college grad going on interviews!)

It's been a few weeks since I received the glasses. I waited to make sure I was happy with everything, and that you would be too. I am. I really like the mission of Novica and have been very pleased with my order. The ordering process is easy, my glasses arrived in a lovely package with background note. Most importantly, the glasses have held up beautifully. No chips, breaks, staining, etc. Exactly what I wanted.

Now the great news, Novica wants to share their goodies with one of you. I have a Fifty Dollar ($50) gift certificate to Novica for one of you. The contest is open to anyone in the world (as long as Novica ships to your neighborhood!). I'll leave comments open until June 10th at 10pm CT. So, how do you enter?

1) Pick your favorite item from Novica (you don't have to buy it if you win) and leave it in a comment. I also need you to leave an email address so I can notify you if you win!

2) If you are a follower of the blog, leave me another comment for an extra entry.

Good luck!
Novica (and their awesome Mexican glasses) are my Friday Favorites.

*I was provided with a $50 gift certificate at Novica for my participation. However, all words, and thoughts contained in this post are mine.*

Comments are now closed, thanks again Novica!

Friday Favorite- Bon Jovi Concert

2011-05-26T22:29:00.008-05:00

Last week we went to the Bon Jovi concert. I had been looking forward to this concert for years. We saw Bon Jovi at the Rodeo about 6 or 7 years ago. They completely rocked...and then they did two random cover songs that sort of ruined the rest of the rocking. Anyhow, I promised myself we'd go again if they came into town and THEY DID. And, then we ended up with extra tickets and there was all this drama BUT... we went and it was AWESOME.

AWESOME. The concert definitely goes down as a Friday Favorite!

The concert was like going back in time. Bon Jovi has a great song book and pretty much all of them rock. The people watching was awesome; everyone from middle aged mullets to partying 60 year olds and everything in between. We had such a great time rocking out that I was inspired to convince my friend Karla to go to "Rock of Ages" next week. I can't wait!

Summer Pesto Pasta

2011-05-24T21:11:00.011-05:00

We had one of our favorite dinners tonight and I had to share it. It's our summer Macadamia Nut Pesto. I got this recipe at one of my Bridal showers from Tammy, a friend we haven't seen in far too long. I wonder if she knows how often we use her recipe? We love it. Our girls are still undecided-it's green, mama! Be warned, the recipe makes a TON of food. I think you need a ton because this is better the second and third days. It supposedly freezes well for up to 3 months; although it's never made it that long in our house.

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (fresh makes a difference)

3/4 cup olive oil

4 ounces macadamia nuts

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves

4 peeled garlic cloves

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp crushed red pepper

In food processor, combine all above ingredients until a paste forms. You can eat the pesto as is on bread or make it a meal by adding grilled chicken, cut into cubes, and combine with pasta.

Linking with Rhoda's Summer Recipe Party.

Ch-Ch-Changes and Pretty Pictures

2011-05-22T22:22:00.010-05:00

We're in the midst of some exciting changes here at casa Elzabelz. The changes have kept me and my family moving for the past few weeks. I've been working on a huge project, bigger than any party I've planned or any room I've tried to decorate...it's exciting and a bit scary. Until I have something to show you, how about a few photos from my trip to New Orleans?

Just in case you missed it, make sure to check out my snazzy new banner, courtesy of Brenda. She was a dream to work with, I highly recommend hiring her.

Friday Favorite- The Vampire Diaries

2011-05-19T20:45:00.014-05:00

Vampire Diaries and Vampire Diaries Pictures

I'm veering away from highlighting something you can buy to something you should be watching. "The Vampire Diaries." This show is consistently SO good. I LOVE the TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" for all sorts of reasons like a strong female heroine, quippy writing, kick butt action, the awesomest musical episode in the history of television. I even watched "Angel" for years because it was a Buffy spin-off. After Buffy, every other vampire show or movie paled in comparison (Ha ha- paled, because of vampires. Dude, I SLAY me. Ha ha-again!). I tried. Really, I did. But, I do not understand the Twilight phenomenon. A vampire with a soul in love with a normal girl? Yeah, Buffy did it first, better, and their vampire was Totally Hott. I even passed on True Blood. Not interested. I tried and discarded every vampire, supernatural show...until...some internet friends started going on and on about "The Vampire Diaries." I really didn't believe it. A vampire show has to be really good to interest me. I think I was bored one night and thought, "Eh, OK, I'll give it a shot." And, holy heck 1) The writing is excellent, 2) The writing is quippy, 3) They have a vampire in love with a normal girl (actually they have two) and one of them is SO HOTT. Both are believable story lines, 4) Major eye candy, 5) The show is not afraid to kill people, vamps, werewolves. One episode they killed like 12 people and 2 vampires. Awesome. 6) They came up with a Vampire-Werewolf. That is super interesting. I wish Joss Whedon had come up with that first. I don't even consider the show a guilty pleasure, it's just awesomely good. I don't care if the main demographic isn't old enough to drive-I don't care. Watch this show. Trust me. You won't regret it.

"The Vampire Diaries" is over for the season, which makes it the perfect time to catch up on the show. You will not be sorry. This show has quickly surpassed all others in terms of what I HAVE to watch. My Friday Favorite TV show- "The Vampire Diaries."

Pants That Fit

2011-05-16T20:52:00.025-05:00

JCrew

My friend Heidi has been trying to rebuild her wardrobe for several months. Today she went looking for pants and, things did not end well. I was kind of afraid for the salespeople since she had just finished shooting at the range. Since we don't want anyone to get hurt, let's establish a few shopping rules when shopping for pants. *I freely admit that finding great pants also frustrates me, which is probably one reason I prefer to wear skirts and dresses.*

1) Allow yourself plenty of time. The key to finding clothes you love is taking the time to find what you like and what you don't. That means you have to physically try everything on in all sorts of sizes. The last time I looked for jeans, I tried on jeans for at least an hour or two. Really look at what you are seeing-with pants and jeans, take a look at the front (is anything pulling or whiskering), look at the rise in the back, look for gaps in the waistband. And, of course, the jumping and squatting tests are crucial to finding a great pair of pants.

2) Do NOT pay attention to sizes. Sizes vary wildly from store to store, and even style to style. This is especially important if you have an in between body- for example, I am tall and fairly skinny. While you may think that is desirable when pants shopping, I assure you it is not. Almost all my pants are altered because I have yet to find a pair that instantly fit. If you have wider hips or larger thighs, look for pants that are cut curvy or wider in those areas and alter them to fit your waist.

3) Look for the silhouette. To the extent you can, try not to look at what is trendy or pay attention to price, find something you like and that flatters you and buy that. It is a lot easier to buy clothes once you know what silhouettes work for you. I like straighter legs and a tailored pant, so I look for those types of pants. If you have size issues with your hips, thighs, or butt, go for a flared leg pant. Flared legs provide balance between your top and bottom. Look for words like- "shaped hip and thigh" or "relaxed through" leg and read the reviews.

4) No crops. Ever. This is a piece of fashion advice I have long believed in, even more since Tim Gunn thinks the same thing. Cropped pants do not look good on most people and tend to cut women at weird points. Unless Heidi Klum is reading this, do not wear cropped pants.

Heidi is looking for jeans and khakis-though I argue against khakis. I think black or gray pants are a much better purchase. She asked for some places to shop. Normally I stick with J Crew for pants. (I used to swear by Banana Republic and Gap, but I had a terrible customer service issue with their pants and will never shop there again.) I suggested expanding her search to: Nordstrom-awesome shopping service, Lands End Canvas, Eddie Bauer, The Limited, Zara, and Ann Taylor Loft. Here are a few styles I found at those stores: Blakely Fit from Eddie Bauer; The Limited Wide Leg Cassidy. If you have a great pair of pants, leave them in the comments. I know Heidi will read them!

The most important shopping rule- It's not life or death, it's just pants.

Friday (Saturday) Favorite-OPI Texas Nail Polish

2011-05-14T21:13:00.020-05:00

Images via SpoiledPretty

As you may know, Blogger was down yesterday, so my Friday's Favorite is now a Saturday favorite. It all worked out since I had time to discover something TOTALLY AWESOME today. Several months ago I promised my girls that we'd get our nails done at the salon once M's finger healed. Her finger has been 100% for some time now, so today seemed like a great time to make good on my promise. I was looking for a fun purple and choose Pamplona Purple. I decided to try to get the shade for touch-ups and discovered something better, "Houston--we have a Purple."

Come On. That's genius! An entire collection of OPI shades based on Texas and named for Texas, including an (Longhorn) Orange. Oh yeah. As usual, the OPI names are almost as good as the colors; Austin-tatious Turquoise, Guy Meets Gal-veston, Do you Think I'm Tex-y. From the reviews I've found on the internet, the Texas colors are sorbet based and, it seems, that they may be very sheer. I plan on buying several colors or maybe the whole collection as soon as the shopping ban is over. C'mon June 1st! Please tell me I'm not the only one who gets excited about new make-up and nail polish lines?!

OPI's Texas Nail Polish Collection is my Saturday's Favorite.

What I've Learned

2011-05-11T22:40:00.000-05:00

You may have wondered where I've been lately. I've been learning lots of new things. Things like:
Always keep a plastic bag in the back seat.

When your gut tells you to buy car cleaning cloths and wipes for the car, don't doubt it because you've never bought them before. Buy them---you will use them twice in one week.

Oprah was right, you are wearing the wrong bra size. Yes, even you. You don't even want to know how wrong I was...

When your New Year's Eve starts off with a kid vomiting, your year will likely be full of lots of kid vomit.

Despite the fact that there are 4 very prominently displayed calendars in your house, your husband does not see them. Any of them.

Even that one right above his desk.

Cookies really do make everything better.

Don't ever drive behind an open dump truck with the word "waste" on the side if you ever feel like eating again.

Real Life Bloggers

2011-05-08T20:55:00.025-05:00

Courtesy Megan

I've been fortunate to meet lots of amazing "real life" bloggers-I can't even list them all (but most are over there on my blogroll). I'm doubly lucky to now call these women my friends. With very few exceptions, the bloggers I've met have all been amazingly smart, funny, and interesting women. And, most of the women bloggers I come across are gorgeous--the same for the men (just in case Ron or Fred is reading ;)). A couple weeks ago, I was able to meet up with another group of amazing women bloggers, this time all Houston based (or mostly Houston since Cyndy drove in from Lufkin!). Emily and Megan did a great job of arranging everything. I've followed both women on Twitter and through their blogs for some time, so I was SUPER excited to meet them. They were even more awesome than I expected. As was Emily, who I was really excited to meet. She seemed so cool, clever, and witty and seemed like someone I would hang out with in real life. All true. Emily even met me out for a DEFINE class (you know how much I love that studio, right?! LOVE!). Hopefully she's still talking to me because the "stretching" part of class was just as hard as the "strengthening" part of class. Ow. Anyway, seeing her again reminded me that I never told you guys about meeting these awesome (yes, that is the best word) ladies. I'm not going to list everyone here because both both Emily and Megan have great recaps with complete links (and took pretty pictures of me-bonus!). I encourage you to go visit all the awesome Houston bloggers I met- especially since Elsa is going to post her cardboard chair-how, what??

This picture has nothing to do with the post. I just think it's funny and Mir could use a laugh. Plus, it's just funny. I wonder how long it will take her before she finds that I hid it here?! ;) This could be a fun new take on Where's Waldo- Where's the blogger picture?!

Friday Favorite- Sofft Shoes

2011-05-06T07:30:00.009-05:00

Via shoeline

I bought a pair of Sofft shoes before I left for Mom 2.0 at DSW. They may be one of the best shoe purchases ever. I can't locate the pair I bought online, they are similar to the ones pictured, but a little less gladiator. You can find Sofft shoes just about anywhere, but DSW prices were at least $40 cheaper than what I am seeing online. Finally a "business sandal." Before I bought them, I was adamantly against sandals in the office, but these shoes changed my mind. Dressy enough for the office and comfortable enough to wear out on the weekend. My shoes are so comfortable that I wear them pretty much every chance I get. In fact, I'm going to wear them today to work. They gets tons of compliments each time I wear them- which is a good measure of a shoe purchase! So comfortable. So soft.

Sofft shoes are my Friday Favorite. Just because I'm not shopping doesn't mean I can't still talk about shopping, right?!

No Shopping Challenge-May

2011-05-04T19:51:00.013-05:00

There are lots of shopping challenges out there-see Liz for an amazing amount of willpower. A year-no shopping-a year-I have no words. Other than Bravo! My friend Pam did a closet challenge a few months ago and tried to get me on board. I like the idea of putting something out in the internet for accountability. But, I don't want to limit my clothing options; I like my clothes and don't want to just choose 15 items-that's just crazy talk!

If you know me in real life, you know I am constantly battling myself about shopping (I'm a saver at heart, but love a good deal). I don't necessarily WANT to buy new things, but they are so, so pretty. I've tried giving up shopping for a month and for Lent (Fail) many times before and hate it. Let me be clear, I do not have a crazy shopping habit. I am careful about what I purchase and think before I buy. But, I feel like the time is right to just take a breather and come up with new ways to wear my clothes. I also think it is a good exercise to spend a few months a year not shopping. So, I am following Kim's lead and not shopping for the rest of May. The rules are here and summarized below. I like this challenge because it's not as austere as some, while encouraging accountability. I'll update you as things go-hopefully I will be successful. Wish me luck. Now, just have to delete all those "deals of the day" emails I get...

The challenge commences Wednesday May 4, 2011

~ Challenge will run through May 31, 2011 *I like this, it's not too long, but long enough to hopefully make a difference)

~ No buying clothing/shoes/accessories for the rest of May

~ You are allowed one cheat item. This can be your ban breaker. Something you've been waiting to go on sale, one thing you must buy before the end of the month, etc.

Big News- Trader Joe's is coming to Texas!

2011-05-03T08:42:00.007-05:00

Yes, that IS a big announcement. I LOVE Trader Joe's and am not ashamed to admit that I plan trips around the nearest Trader Joe's. I heard this morning through Twitter (first Twitter breaks news about Bin Laden and now Trader Joe's) about Dallas getting a Trader Joe's. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally be able to shop to my heart's content. My poor friends will no longer have to send me food (Amanda, those chocolate things were DELICIOUS). You can find more information at the Dallas Morning News. From what I could google, it looks like the store in Dallas will open within a year, closely followed by Austin and Houston. That seems reasonable since they need to establish distribution centers. Trader Joe's in Texas. Trader Joe's in Texas. Woo-hoo!!! Finally!!!

*Completely unrelated, the Define Body studio I've raved about before is today's LivingSocial deal. I highly recommend it if you live in Houston. $25 for unlimited 2 weeks, doesn't expire until November (new or fairly new cutsomers only!). Get it now. Email me if you need an invite to Living Social.

Thank You, America

2011-05-02T07:30:00.010-05:00

The only thing I can post today, is "Thank You." Once again, a thank you to the armed forces for continuing their mission to protect our freedom. Osama Bin Laden is dead. I give all the credit to the Navy Seal special ops and the men and women on the ground and working intel to find him all these years later. Some have turned this into a political victory or defeat (half of Twitter did last night), it's not political to me, we are safer because of regular Americans who carried out orders. While I'm not celebrating Osama Bin Laden's death, I am breathing easier. One less crazy crackpot in the world. I believe the world is safer today and I am thankful.

"This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done." -Former President George Bush

"The operation shows those who commit acts of terror against the innocent will be brought to justice, however long it takes. So this is a huge achievement in the fight against terrorism but we know the fight against the terrorism and the ideology that Bin Laden represents continues and is as urgent as ever." - British prime minister David Cameron.

Friday Favorite- The Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T07:54:00.006-05:00

Via Projectrungay

Via the Royal Wedding website

The Royal Wedding. A "regular" girl becomes a princess. That's just magical. I have an affinity for Catherine/Kate Middleton. I hope she manages the extreme pressure and publicity; I think she's had more of an opportunity to get used to the scrutiny than other royals. Hopefully that bodes well for much happiness and longevity. I was fortunate enough to live in Britain for many years growing up and even met the Queen, Prince Phillip, and Prince Charles. I was not able to meet my favorite royal, Princess Diana. Like most girls I grew up desperately wanting to be her, fancy jewels, pretty dresses, unfortunately we didn't know until much later that there was also much unhappiness. I hope the newest addition to the royal family enjoys the pomp and circumstance along with love and support.

The dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. It reminds me of another royal wedding where a "commoner" married a king- Princess Grace Kelly. I think that's a pretty good person to pattern your wedding dress, or any dress after. Like Grace Kelly, Duchess Catherine was full of poise and classic beauty. Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

My Friday Favorite- The Royal Wedding (and wedding dress!)

Easter Breakfast Casserole

2011-04-24T21:03:00.007-05:00

I think it might be a Southern rule that every household has a breakfast casserole recipe. This one is mine (technically, it's from my husband's aunt). It's ridiculously easy and open to interpretation- you like onions? put em in, how about peppers-that too...The world is your breakfast casserole.

Breakfast Casserole

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1 tsp dry mustard

2-6 slices of bread, broken (you can use any bread, I used a baguette on Sunday)

*You can substitute hash browns or tater tots for the bread

1 tsp salt

1 lb sausage, cooked and chopped (any kind)

1 cup grated mixed cheese

Combine all ingredients, pour into a greased 9x12 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. That's it. It's so easy it's ridiculous. And, so good. I usually make this for holidays and will mix the ingredients (let the sausage cool before adding to the eggs) and let it sit in the refrigerator while we go to Mass. This is a no-fail, one dish, awesome addition to your brunch table. You can thank me later!

Friday Favorite- Anthropologie Present (Giftcard)

2011-04-21T19:32:00.015-05:00

It's my birthday! Yea, shower me with glad tidings and choruses of " You don't look a day over 21." Flattery will get you...a gift card to my favorite store, Anthropologie! I love Anthropologie, I love it even more when I get a great deal on something pretty; I'm sure you do too. Since I am now firmly in my 30s, how about a $30 gift card? If you'd like a chance to win a $30 gift card to Anthropologie, follow the directions below.

Here are a few of my current favorites:

Eureka Cargo Skirt (above). I got this just before Mom 2.0 and it is awesome, extremely comfortable, flattering and versatile. Plus, under $30!

Oscillate Heels. Pretty, pretty, pretty. Why, yes, I'd love to dance.

En Route Blazer. Super cute and on trend (STRIPES!). You can easily wear this at work with pants or a pencil skirt, maybe even a yellow or pink skirt/dress and then with jeans for a night out. I love this, clearly I need it now!

Antilles Tank. Bright, fun, colorful pair this with black skinnies and you have an outfit (FYI- it runs way big).

If you'd like to enter, just leave a comment below with your email information. For a second entry, become a follower, or let me know that you are already a follower (again, I need a way to contact you). A winner will be randomly drawn at 10pm CT Tuesday April 25th. Good Luck and thanks for being here.

*This post is not sponsored in any way. Anthropologie does know who I am but only because I buy so much of their clothes!*

The giveaway & comments are now closed, Mir is the winner!

Mom 2.0 Recap

2011-04-21T09:15:00.005-05:00

The Good, the Meh, and the Pretty

*Yes, this is formatted weird and No, I can't figure out how to make it better. I apologize. But, pretty pictures at the end, so soldier on.*

It seems that every Mom 2.0 attendee has blogged about the conference. Seemingly a recap would be over saturation at this point. But, then I remembered that most of my lovely readers may not read the other Mom 2.0 bloggers (because I am your favorite, right?!). Besides, when has over saturation ever stopped me before?! Last year I went to Mom 2.0 at the encouragement of Karen (if it gets her seal of approval, then I generally will heed her advice). I got a party pass and had a wonderful time meeting the bloggers I read for years. It was a no-brainer for me to attend Mom 2.0 again this year, it was relatively close and I reasoned that it was the equivalent of a really fun & fabulous girls weekend. I'm not at all upset that I attended, but, for various reasons, likely won't attend again for some time.

The Good

Mom 2.0 does a really great job of attracting the right people to its conference. The attendees are overwhelmingly smart, creative people who have concrete ideas for making blogging their business. Likewise, they have great ideas on how to change their communities for the better. I like to be surrounded by smart, goal oriented people (especially women), so my fellow participants were a huge draw for me. I also really appreciate that the conference is limited to a manageable 500. I have gone through sorority rush, I don't need to go through that again. Anything over 500 people would be too much for me. The relatively small number of attendees allowed me to interact with people and form friendships.

The conference does an excellent job of selecting the right women to give its opening and closing remarks. I already mentioned how wonderful Abigail Disney's discussion was, the closing keynoters were likewise extremely accomplished women with exciting ideas and different worldviews.

I think Mom 2.0 also does a great job of encouraging interesting discussions. I attended sessions that have little to do with my blogging world, such as dad blogging and the new family. I was really happy I selected those session since both were really interesting.

The Meh

I can't quite figure out the Mom 2.0 brand. In one sense, it is absolutely THE preeminent conference for women (primarily mom) bloggers to connect on a professional level with marketers. On the other hand, the conference does not always act professionally. By that I mean, that Mom 2 chose not to release agendas or speakers until the tickets were full price. I suspect this was their way of creating excitement. I just found it frustrating. I really wanted to know what the conference would offer. As a professional, I would never attend a legal conference that refused to release its agenda or speakers until a few weeks before the conference. I was also disappointed in the lapses in communication on the Mom 2 website for most of the year and then daily updates with the newest greatest addition in the couple weeks before the event. Just release an agenda with a full roster of speakers, why is that so hard? There were plenty of little surprises at the conference that did not require the furtive PR campaign.

The other two large issues that I couldn't figure out, but are easily corrected for next year, were the food and the lack of internet connectivity. The conference organizers kept boasting about great food. Yea! I thought, it's the Ritz, in New Orleans, I am going to EAT. Um...no. The conference selections were meager and not very good. Maybe I am a foodie snob, but I expected more. Much more. The lack of internet connectivity meant that most of the attendees (like me) weren't able to connect to the internet to blog, tweet, or even email for most of the conference. As a result, Mom 2 missed out on opportunities for real time social media excitement. I have high hopes that Laura and her team will continue to improve.

The Pretty

The people. The end.

Me & Mir-Courtesy Sarah

The women who attend this conference are AMAZING.

Me & Georgia (BOSSY) courtesy of Sarah

Make you so glad you know them great.

Me & Susan Come up with amazing ideas amazing.

These are women that I would be (and am) friends with in real life. These are women that I could hang out with for weeks and not get tired of seeing their lovely faces. These women are the reason I attended the conference. I was inspired, I learned, I laughed-oh, how I laughed. I got to meet tons of my twitter folks like Regan (BEST shoes ever), Britt and Rachel, and reconnect with amazing women like Laurie and Sarah. Not to mention my amazing roomies- Pam, Sarah, and Jennifer. In fact, many of my best times at the conference were the times I was just hanging out with awesome women. I really loved doing things that were not scheduled sessions like running with the group below on Saturday morning, walking around the French Quarter, and just chilling in my room while Mir made carpet angels (as soon as I can figure out how to make a video, that goes up here). That was well worth it. Run 2.0 (or 3.5!) courtesy of Rookie Moms

I laughed, I met new friends and reconnected with old friends. I came thisclose to meeting a fairy- I DARE you to listen and watch Erin Loechner and not think she is a real life fairy (an extremely savvy fairy). I was complimented by Gabby, Allison (who I desperately needed more time to hang out with!), and Susan, so pretty much I am complete. I learned that blogging as a business is not for me. I also learned that when you get a group of educated women in a room for any amount of time, the talk will inevitably lead to boobs, poop, or shoes. And, possibly I may be wearing the wrong bra (That was for you, you know whos).

There's my recap. And, as a thank you for reading that, I have a special Birthday present for you tomorrow, so come on back!

Mom 2.0 Advice

2011-04-18T21:38:00.014-05:00

The mother you are today and the mother you want to be.

I'm back from Mom 2.0 and have lots of ideas, inspiration, exhaustion, memories, and pictures. I'll get to everything in due time. There was one thing that struck me so deeply that I need to remember it every day.

The conference opened with a keynote from Abigail Disney, who shared a quote from a Gloria Steinem speech to a boys' school: "Think of the father you have today and the father you want to be." The words really resonated with me slightly differently, "Think of the mother you are today and the mother you want to be."

I struggle with being the mom I want to be daily. I find myself saying 'No' more times than I'd like. I find myself getting frustrated with repetitive whining or the "I'm really tired and going to throw a fit for no reason" fits. I try to remember that my kids are great kids. I try to remember that they have spent their day remembering rules and growing; that's got to be exhausting. I try to remember that my girls are little sponges who soak up what I show them. And, yet, more times than I am comfortable with, I lose my temper. I show them my frustration rather than my patience. More times than I am proud of, I have to say 'Mommies make mistakes sometimes too." I'm not writing this because I think I'm a bad mom. I don't. I love my girls more than anything I've ever thought or known. Being their mother is my great privilege and joy. I just want to make sure that how I mother them shows them my joy and love. This post is my public resolve to do better.

Sometimes I get it right. My girls and I love creating things together. I paint their nails and play dress-up with them. When I ask them, those activities are their favorite things. Yesterday, I drove straight fromt he airport and immediately took them for a mommy & girls afternoon. We had lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon at a Family Fun Day. We were silly. I let them ride whatever rides they wanted as many times as they wanted. We planted seedlings and I watched them win the carnival games. I let them have cotton candy, sweets, and take as long as they needed. We were on their schedule and we had a wonderful time. I loved seeing them experience the different activities. I loved seeing how each of my girls reacted differently to the same situation. How brave my oldest child is. How ready she is to take on the world. I saw how quietly observant my younger daughter is and how she still really wants to just be by my side. I love being that mom. I love seeing them just Be.

I know that I can find a way to be a fun mom at the same time as being the mom who gives them guidelines and boundaries. I don't want to lose sight that I have an obligation to these girls to raise them to be more than they dream they can be. It is an awesome responsibility, to be a good parent. I know I can do it. From now on I need to remember to be the mother I want to be.

Hump Day -Om Day

2011-04-13T07:42:00.006-05:00

I'm packing, prepping, and generally getting ready for Mom 2.0 in New Orleans tomorrow. I'm also trying to get caught up on work, household stuff before I leave. Which is all leaving me feeling quite anxious (but ready to go to New Orleans!)...so, I'm leaving you with a nice, peaceful, tropical landscape from our trip to Puerto Rico. Deep breaths, and ommm.....

Shopping with Eddie Ross (and Tori Spelling)

2011-04-11T22:45:00.022-05:00

Jaithan, me, Eddie

A few weeks ago I was able to go to one of Eddie Ross' flea market shopping trips. Eddie & Jaithan picked the biggest antique market in Texas (Roundtop/Warrenton/Marburger) to shop. I had been looking forward to shopping with Eddie for almost a year and was not disappointed. We concentrated mostly on Warrenton since the prices in Marburger and Round Top are getting higher and higher. Eddie and Jaithan previewed the day before and had certain booths set aside to explain different items and techniques. I learned how to negotiate at markets (I am usually the WORST negotiator. I'm great in legal negotiations, but purchasing items? No); so that was well worth the price of admission. Eddie pointed out items that I might have normally overlooked. He showed us how to create table displays, furniture groupings, etc. It was really interesting and really helpful. I didn't end up with too many things. In fact, everything Eddie showcased on our walk-through was gone by the time my friend and I went back to the booths after lunch! Eddie clearly has great taste, he sold them out. Actually, a group of ladies on the tour with us went and bought almost every item he pointed out. The ones that got away?- an AMAZING pair of purple mid-century glass lamps (think Z Gallerie) for $90 the pair. I racked my brains about where could I use them...DUH- the master bedroom. Alas, they were gone by the time we got back to that booth. Shoot. Lesson learned: when in doubt, buy them out! I can't wait to go back to Warrenton in the fall with my new tips of the trade.

I was happy after meeting Eddie & Jaithan and learning so many great tips. But, wait! There's more!

While looking around an architectural dealer for barn lights, I spied this man. And immediately knew he was Dean McDermott. I was sort of tipped off by the camera & crew around him. By the way, he is incredibly tall and MUCH hotter than he comes across on television. Like, OMG so HOT. Since the whole crew, including Patty (what? You don't know the name of Tori's nanny?! Pshaw?!) were there with a tour bus, I knew Tori had to be there as well.

After walking around a little bit more, we found Tori. I didn't get a picture since she had just finished taking pictures with at least 40 other people. She was very gracious about all the pictures and also much prettier in real life. I desperately wanted to get a picture, but I don't bother people when they are shopping. Obviously this woman didn't mind bothering someone while they were shopping!

If you ever get the chance to go shopping with Eddie & Jaithan, do it! You'll learn great decorating, shopping, and party tips and might run into celebrities along the way!

Friday Favorite- Spring Dresses

2011-04-07T21:29:00.015-05:00

Anthropolgie

Big surprise that two of my favorite Spring dresses include this dress from Anthropologie. I am (im)patiently waiting for my birthday discount so I can buy this. It would be perfect for Easter or our family pictures, or pretending like I'm Donna Reed. I love the silhouette and the colors. I haven't seen this in person, but can't wait to try it on!

Shabby Apple

Shabby Apple has a new line that I love. I may have mentioned before that I really like wearing Shabby Apple dresses. They have a great vintage vibe and are unique enough so that nobody else will wear your dress. At least, nobody has shown up in the same dress as I have before. I love this striped dress, it looks so fresh and fun. I think stripes are great for Spring (and Summer, and Fall...). This would make a great Easter dress or for a fun family photo. It reminds me of something Anthropologie would sell, which makes it A-ok in my book.

*Not a paid post, I just really love these dresses.

Pretty Spring dresses are my Friday Favorites today.

Gallery Wall of Pictures

2011-04-05T22:17:00.026-05:00

I love using gallery walls and have several gallery walls in our home. I love seeing how our family grows displayed in our home. As part of the great Master Bedroom makeover, I created a new gallery wall in our bedroom. I had about eight frames up before, but they were way too small and didn't make enough of an impact. This gallery wall has more pictures and items that are just "us." I am a little...um...exact. (Some may say OCD or obsessed...I'm not arguing. It may or may not have taken me 2 days to finish this project.) I start out by laying everything out on the floor. Once I play around with moving everything around, I cut out paper shapes for each frame.

I then use painters tape to place the paper "frames" on the wall. It makes it much easier to move everything around. You are supposed to hang pictures at eye level, which is difficult for us because we are so tall. Usually 57 inches is a good point. I started at 57 inches here, but ended moving everything up 8 or 9 inches because my husband's hamper would have hit the bottom frame. Also, it looked weird to have so much wall up top with no frames. I decided hanging things at the "right" height didn't matter because my husband and I are going to be the only people using this room. Luckily, I discovered this BEFORE making holes in the wall.

I branched out a bit this time and included some objects, rather than just art or pictures. I have the crucifix from my grandfather's coffin-wow, writing that out seems morbid. But, it's not. At least not to me. On the other side I used the ribbon from my wedding bouquet and added magnets we've gotten from attending bat mitzvahs for our friends' children.

The gallery wall includes our first photo ever together (even before our first date), awww. Our wedding invitation, our children's hand prints, our wedding photos and mat. I also managed to get in the photo of us with a Longhorn-woo. Oh yeah. In other words, it's "us." I 'm pretty pleased with how everything turned out. I still want to add some dimension by adding a couple of frames on a higher level (in between frames), as well as a Lisa Leonard sign. I also need to update some of these pictures-but look how sweet our girls are in these pictures. So sweet, so little. sniff... But, for now, I'm really happy with how this wall has brightened up our room.

I still owe you a description of my antiquing trip with Eddie Ross with added celebrity sighting (Spoiler alert! Tori Spelling & Family). Additional Spoiler Alert! Dean McDermott is Hott Hot hot.

I'm adding this to The Inspired Room's Gallery Wall Link Party!

Friday Favorite- Texas pillow

2011-03-31T21:50:00.006-05:00

MyBeardedPigeon

A number of design and decor sites have profiled the etsy shop my bearded pigeon recently. For good reason, the products are amazing. The artist, Cath agreed to create a Texas pillow for me and I just LOVE it. It's going to be the perfect addition to our living room. I can't wait until it arrives. She's got more Texas pillow covers in her shop, as well as tons of other maps. I can see the Paris map pillow or the vintage Vancouver or Canada pillows in my friend T's home. (T, go buy one now!) You can find more pillow covers here. If you don't see your state or area on the shop, just convo Cath, she's really easy to deal with and you won't be disappointed!

A custom Texas pillow-a Friday's Favorite for sure!

Hump Day Vacation Photo

2011-03-29T21:10:00.009-05:00

Man, I had a day. It was hectic, stressful, crazy, and endless. Here is a snippet of a text conversation I had: "Had the worst day at work. I need an escape."

"Me too...tough week and it's only Tuesday!"

"Right. And I gave up drinking for Lent...OK, I gave up drinking during the week. But, still..."

But, tomorrow is going to be a great day. I have the day off (even though I will be very worried about a work project) to go shopping with a friend and Eddie Ross in Round Top. I am so excited. I love Eddie; I think he's sort of a genius. So, while I am off enjoying a great day shopping, I leave you with this image and hope it inspires you to have a great day. Or, at least dream about a great day.

Half Marathon-Done!

2011-03-28T20:44:00.019-05:00

My Half Crazy Half Marathon

I finally managed to finish a half-marathon (Angie's Half Crazy! Half Marathon). Take that #32 on the Life List! After registering for (and missing) three other races, I actually managed to get to the starting line and finish a half-marathon. Thank God. I'm proud that I finished the race. That said, I'm an overachiever and know I have a lot of room for improvement- I was much slower than I wanted. I thought I ran my goal time of 2:30. (I would do the winning dance if I could run a 2:15.) It turns out that I was almost 10 minutes slower and ended up with a 2:39. Bummer. But, I was really dragging those last few miles, so that makes sense. I mean really dragging. D-r-a-g-g-i-n-g. I'm feeling really tired and sore, but happy that I finished my first half-marathon. I'm ready for the next race...just not too soon.

For those of you planning on running a half-marathon, here are a few things I learned along the way, besides the obvious ones like hydrate as much as possible: a cute running skirt will make you feel much better while racing, it doesn't make you run faster though..., A good running play list is essential, I'd still be on mile 9 without Ludacris, Britney, Eminem, and Kanye (I can't help it, I love 'em). The distance between miles 11-13.1 is longer than 2.1 miles. Truth.

Friday Favorite- T shirt Edition

2011-03-24T22:53:00.006-05:00

Photo via Amazon.com
Buffy

Photo via musingsofamuse.com

or Wonder Woman.

Tough Choice. I don't even wear t-shirts, but I may have to make an exception.

Fun t-shirts, my Friday Favorite.

Bluebonnets & Texas

2011-03-23T20:38:00.012-05:00

Bluebonnet Pictures & Perfect Photo Location

It turns out that a number of people find my blog by searching for bluebonnets, bluebonnet pictures, etc. (The rest of you find me by searching for Wonder Woman or Wonder Woman underoos, which is sort of awesome.) That means it must be time for a weekly bluebonnet picture update. These bluebonnet shots are all from my neighborhood. Aren't I lucky that we have great patches growing so close? But, for those of you looking for a field of bluebonnets perfect for picture taking, I suggest the Salem Lutheran Church grounds in Brenham. Awesome fields of flowers with a darling white church in the background and free.

Ah, bluebonnets, proof that God Blessed Texas!

Spring Color Combinations

2011-03-21T21:20:00.021-05:00

I'm definitely in a color mood lately. But, it's OK because the colors are purple, yellow, and gray and they go so well together in both Fall and Spring. Look, the colors are everywhere (not to mention in my bedroom curtains, sheets, and decor!):

Anthropologie dress
Ruche top
J Crew Double Serge skirt (GREAT skirt, by the way)

Of course Kate Spade has so many lovely yellow and purple combinations, but they don't download well, see this, this, and this. I'm also in love with combining purple with blue and green like in this Target dress I just bought. The blue/purple/green combination reminds me of a field of wildflowers, just lovely. Even though I'm captivated by purple/yellow/gray, I still love looking for new color combinations in magazines, catalogs, and surprisingly on one of my favorite shows- Glee, recapped nicely at What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear. Where do you go for color inspiration and what colors are inspiring you this Spring?

Vacation View

2011-03-20T21:29:00.006-05:00

Less than forty-eight hours ago this was my view...not too shabby. We returned home from vacation with lots of great stories, pictures, and a few sunburns (Oops. Next time pack rash guards, hats, and apply MORE sunscreen!). We also brought back a desire to eat Puerto Rican food and drink pitchers of Sangria. Mmm, some of the best food and drinks we've had in a long time. Needless to say, I'm catching up on work, laundry, and editing hundreds of pictures. I hope your Spring Break was full of sand/snow/relaxing fun. Any fun Spring Break stories to share?

Here, Deer, and Everywhere

2011-03-14T21:14:00.009-05:00

I have had a whirlwind of a few days including two Buc-ee's stops, marathon work sessions, packing, unpacking, repacking, and culminating in my husband accidentally wiping my iPhone clean of EVERYTHING. So, instead of a big post, you get this. This is one of the only iPhone pictures I saved prior to tonight. It's kind of apropos, a doe with pearls. Sometimes I feel like the doe. Like, I don't really belong in this feed store, do I? Can't you just make things a little prettier? Maybe add some pearls? Oh yeah, much better. What is also much better is our beach vacation that starts tomorrow. I've heard there's no wi-fi where we're going, so it may be quiet around here for a few days. Have a great eek. If you don't hear from me, I'm off enjoying a few mojitos!

Friday Favorite- Etsy Necklaces

2011-03-11T07:34:00.008-06:00

Image Tyrowild

I found this etsy shop through Twitter (and then clicked through Jane has a Job). I love Tyrowild's etsy shop. I think the pieces would be a great addition to any wardrobe. Necklaces like these are invaluable because they can easily transition from work to play. You can wear them with a suit or or even add a statement to a plain t-shirt and jeans. I love wearing necklaces like this since it makes dressing so easy and instantly elevates the look. In other words, you look much more put together with little effort. Score! The etsy shop is full of great items that are similar to what you'd see at Ban*na Republic or J. Crew or other retailers, but for a much more reasonable price point. If you click through Jane has a Job, there is a discount of 10% on any purchase from the etsy shop. Go, shop, and be pretty.

Reasonably priced nice jewelry, that's a Friday favorite!

Love Thursday-Little Loves

2011-03-09T21:26:00.005-06:00

This photo encompasses most of my major loves- I Love these two girls; I Love how they love spending time together; I Love being out in the country (the girls are riding on a souped up golf cart); and I Love the boots. In short, it's a photo of all my little loves. Happy Love Thursday, hope today is full of your little loves.

A Big Change

2011-03-07T22:27:00.013-06:00

Guess what this is?If you guessed about 26 inches of hair, you'd be right. My girls and I started growing our hair in August, to donate to Auntie Rachel*. It was my daughter Em's idea. I was really proud to join the effort. Proud until it became clear that I would need to actually cut my hair. Then I was sort of frightened. No, terrified. You see, I have this disease where I convince myself that I will like a short haircut. Every time I cut my hair, I immediately regret it. This time is no different. I can't blame the hairdresser, she did exactly what I asked. My girls look adorable. Me? Meh. I think I resemble Sally Field in Steel Magnolias- brown football helmet. Not happy. It does look slightly better curly, which is how I am wearing it today. However, my hair will grow back. And, next time I will know to grow my hair even longer so that I can still have longish hair after the big cut. I'm posting this as evidence that I am not one of those people who feels comfortable rocking a short cut. A number of my friends can, I just don't feel comfortable without my hair. So, then next time I feel like cutting my hair, hopefully I will see this post and remember to proceed with caution!

*We donated to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program because the program only requires 8 inches of hair versus 10 inches. Next time, we plan on donating to Wigs for Kids.

Bluebonnet Springtime!

2011-03-06T21:15:00.007-06:00

It is finally Spring in Texas, the first Bluebonnets have been sighted. You should expect a weekly pictorial update until they disappear.

Bluebonnets are my favorite flowers. I love that they pop up in the most unexpected places.

These are from our front yard. But, soon, we'll see fields of wildflowers. They'll line the roads. They'll pop up in the country. It's a beautiful thing. Just had to share the first beauties with you.

Friday Favorite- Bath & Beautiful Edition

2011-03-03T21:35:00.018-06:00

Photo-Lush

Lush Bath Bombs-I've heard great things about Lush. Their products are all natural, which is important to me. The girls and I did a little shopping the other day and passed by the Lush department, so I let each girl select one Lush Bath Bomb. What fun. One of the bath bombs had little bits of heart confetti and changed colors. One bomb changed colors and released glitter. Basically, the best thing you could ask for if you happen to be a little girl. They loved it. A relatively cheap way of bringing some fun to bathtime. Both bath bombs smelled wonderful. The Lush people gave me a free shampoo bar to try and, so far, I really like it.

Photo Sephora

Amore Pacific Lipstick-I get incredibly chapped lips. Really bad. My hypothesis is that I'm allergic to something that I love to eat-regularly. Since I'm too lazy to go to a physician and get an actual diagnosis, I'll just self treat. Anyhow, so extremely chapped lips. I've tried EVERYTHING. Cheap treatments, expensive treatments, everything in between. Vaseline, Kiehl's, La Mer, you name it. A while ago, Sarah suggested this lip treatment on Twitter. Sarah's beauty suggestions are always spot on, so I bought it. It is worth every penny. It completely heals my lips. It's sort of in between lipstick and lip gloss. It has great coverage and stays on for hours. Definitely a great find.

Friday favorites-Bath & Beauty edition.

Love Thursday- Cowgirl Up

2011-03-03T07:34:00.008-06:00

It doesn't surprise anyone who knows me that I love Texas. I love living in this state of queso, river sitting, bluebonnets, and Bar-B-Q. I'm a breathing Texas Tourism ad. Neither my husband nor I are Texan by birth, but as many bumper stickers say "Texan by the grace of God." As a result, we are a Texas family. We are also a family overwhelmingly of girls. (Maybe this is why my husband goes hunting all the time, to escape the make-up and pink?!). Last week the girls got new boots (above) and haven't parted with them since. This is our life in a nutshell, two matching pairs of boots for my Texas girls, and a couple of well worn glitter shoes for good measure.

The boots signal rodeo season here in Houston. Rodeo is one of my favorite times of year. It used to mean the start of my husband's Barbecue cook-off time and all the fun that went with it. Now, it means that we'll "cowgirl up" (or cowboy up, as the case may be) and go to the Rodeo for a day of fun. It means a day of dreaming about our own piece of Texas ranch land...someday. A day of pig races, milking cows, petting baby animals, and eating everything fried on a stick that you can imagine. My husband chaperoned Em's class yesterday to the Rodeo and reported that the Texas pig beat all the others in the pig races yesterday, I'm taking that as a positive sign for the upcoming season. (PLEASE!!!). He also refused to buy me my own Longhorn. Pffft. That would have really shown me his love. I'm sure it would be right at home in our side yard. I even have a name all picked out- "Darrell Royal Earl Mack Lovely Longhorn of Awesomeness."

Happy Love Thursday. May your day be filled with boots, chaps, and yummy deep fried goodness.

Oscars Red Carpet-All the Pretty

2011-02-28T21:36:00.025-06:00

The Oscars! Hollywood brought the pretty. I loved looking at the gorgeous dresses, hair and OH MY GOD the jewels. Also, YEA for Matthew McConnahubbahubba's triumphant return to the red carpet. Matthew, I have missed your hotness....Sorry, a little drool on the keyboard there. There's quite a bit to say about Sunday's ceremony. Poor Anne Hathaway. My family loves Anne Hathaway (we watch a lot of Ella Enchanted and The Princess Diaries), but that hosting gig was rough. I think she tried to overcompensate for James Franco being bored/drunk/tired? At least she looked awesome.

As my husband said to my daughter yesterday, the Oscars are "Mommy's Super Bowl." Yes, it is. Here are a few of my favorite looks:
Sanda Bullock. Yowza. A Vera Wang. I wasn't too keen on a bustle, but she's one of the few people in the world who can pull of a bustle and she DID. She looked fabulous.
Mila Kunis. Bow howdy is this a dress to get you noticed. I saw today that Halle Berry has worn the dress before (in red). Halle looked rather boudoir in the red version. I think this color looks so much nicer. Beautiful. Also, I love her hair. Her presenting bit with Justin Timberlake was kind of weird though.
Natalie Portman. Classy. Lovely color. I'm not a huge fan of the earrings and prom shoes. But, overall the effect is lovely.
Mandy Moore. LOVED. So pretty.
Halle Berry. Finally. Halle is actually wearing a dress not a Frederick's of Hollywood outfit. Pretty. Gorgeous.

Marissa Tomei. This was her after-Oscar dress. I'm picking it because I thought her Oscar dress was a little schizophrenic-it couldn't decide if it was a sweet retro dress or a rampaging bridesmaid dress. This, however, is awesome. I love the color and the silhouette. Love it.

These are some of my favorites. I have some that I was not fond of (namely Melissa Leo and her lace doily disco ball). What were your favorites?

Images via stylebistro, AP Photo Mark J. Terrill, gofugyourself, projectrungay

Bad Boys, Bad Boys- When you gotta laugh

2011-02-27T18:38:00.011-06:00

Smell the Power!

If you have school age children, you've received the dreaded school calls. Why doesn't the school ever call you and say, "You know what? Your kid is having a fabulous day. Just wanted to let you know." Nope..It's always a tale of someone throwing something at someone, or (most frequently with M) someone getting hurt. Friends of a friend received this email last week. I'm pretty sure it was an email because the principal had to be laughing the whole time he typed it!

This email is to inform you of a behavior event that has been recorded for your child (David (*not the real name)). The details of the event are listed below: Reported By: (redacted)

Violation: Inappropriate comments Description: Inappropriate comments/behavior: David put his hands in his pants, pulled them out, told a fellow student to "smell the power", and then tried to touch him with his hands.

Friday Favorite- New Sheets

2011-02-24T21:47:00.013-06:00

Photo-Crate & Barrel

I have been steadily working on finishing our master bedroom. Going with a new color scheme means new sheets. After much searching, I found a set that are purple and graphic, but not too eye-searingly graphic- this pair at Crate and Barrel. On sale. And Marimekko. That's like a triple bonus right there. So far I'm really pleased with the sheets and love the way the pattern looks against the curtains. I forgot to get a picture before changing the sheets. Oops. Sorry, I am not going to re-make the bed for a picture! Now I'm kind of obsessed with getting more of these sheets, like maybe this pair. It's funny how a set of sheets can make such a difference in the room.

These sheets from Crate & Barrel are my Friday Favorites today.

Rock Star -Rock Out Party: Follow-Up

2011-02-22T22:41:00.021-06:00

Ok, enough being upset about missing my race. What would make me happy?! Hmm, party planning. Since I don't have a big party in the works right now, I found a few pictures from my daughter's 6th Rocking Birthday to share. I've shown you the invitations, decor, and a few activities. Here is a little bit on the rest of the party.

I wanted to give the guests to feel like Rockstars in training-each received a VIP pass and lanyard when they entered the party. Then, it was on to Hair & Make-up where they got hair "extensions" and tattoos. The art activity was to decorate instruments and microphones.After the rockstars were dressed and in tune, the girls hit the "stage" to do a little karaoke to Disney's Wii Sing It! game (next time I'd get the Disney movie version. The game we used was a little advanced for the majority of the girls).

We followed with a little musical note musical chairs (laminated musical notes) followed by a Silly String fight. What better way to prepare these little rockstars for hotel room demolition than by demolishhing some silly string?! The girls (and adults) had a blast. I'm definitely adding Silly String to our parties.

The grand "finale." Well. usually it would be. The cake. I think this cake was a little better than my "fairy toadstool" version. But, still, cakes are my downfall. Good thing that the kids don't seem to mind too much, yet!

Ah, now I feel much better. Parties always make me smile...even when the cake doesn't look that appetizing!

Crushed Expectations

2011-02-20T12:08:00.013-06:00

This picture was not what I had planned for today's post.
I planned today's post for months. I was FINALLY going to finish a half marathon. I set a goal to run a half marathon almost a year and a half ago (Damn you Life List #32). After registering for the Napa 1/2 and canceling due to my daughter's Mystery Diagnosis (still unsolved), then canceling the San Antonio 1/2 because I am an idiot who can't read a calendar, I was going to finish the Austin 1/2 this Sunday. I was anxious, nervous, but totally ready. Ok, maybe not totally ready. I was however, very much ready to cross the goal off my list. And then... my daughter came down with the flu, my husband went out of town, and I was left with trying to rearrange schedules so that I could still travel to Austin. Just about the time I had things lined up so I could run, I came down with the crud. Crap. Are you kidding me universe? Another failed entry. I am so frustrated. I'm beyond disappointed. I probably would have cried if I had the energy, but I was really sick Saturday. I WILL finish a half marathon and I WILL accomplish this before my birthday in April. However, I'll make sure that the next race I register for is based in Houston and that my husband does not travel anywhere, and have a double back-up for child care, and make sure that I walk around with a mask and Purell everything in sight the week before...I'm not going to tell anyone about the next race just so I don't jinx anything. Well, I'll probably tell T who has been supporting me through all this running nonsense!

*The picture is of my fabric flowers, completed while nursing my daughter back to health and watching 8 million episodes of "Wizards of Waverly Place" on Friday.

Friday Favorite- Define Body

2011-02-17T22:09:00.009-06:00

Define Body

I kept reading articles and tweets and posts about what a great work-out everyone was getting from ballet barre based exercise classes. I did a little research (a.k.a. Googling) and found a studio in Houston, Define, that offered similar classes. Holy Heck, y'all. AWESOME. My first class was really good and I felt pretty good after. I could tell that my muscles were being worked in new, good ways. The second class nearly killed me. Ouch. I love the classes. This weekend Define is hosting a "Single Ladies" dance class where they are teaching the moves to Beyonce's dance/video. How fun! If I wasn't prepping for my half-marathon on Sunday (EEEK!), I'd be there in a flash. I'll be back in next week (assuming I make it through the half-marathon in one piece) after my muscles recover. Define is my new favorite exercise activity and my Friday Favorite.