Mid-week Mexico

Today was gloomy and overcast with partial crappiness. I kept staring at this picture to motivate me to keep going. A little mid-week Mexico pick-me-up!

View from Cabo San Lucas-a couple weeks ago

Monday Diversion

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.

Wednesday -Augh

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.

On Holiday-Cayman Style

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.

Texas Sized News

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.

Ch-Ch-Changes and Pretty Pictures

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.

Hump Day -Om Day

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.....

Hump Day Vacation Photo

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.

Bluebonnets & Texas

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!

Vacation View

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?

Love Thursday-Little Loves

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.

Bluebonnet Springtime!

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.

Where We Were-Our Mini Tour of Texas

Wow. It feels like I've been gone from the Internet for weeks. I've been gone from "regular life" for some time too. It was a nice and needed break. We squeezed a lot out of the last week. After Christmas we embarked on a 900 mile tour of Texas including Great Wolf Lodge, the American Girl Store & Cafe, friends and family, and ending up in the Hill Country. Actually, ending up with two stomach viruses...but, who is counting?? I'll eventually update everything, but here are snippets of our Hill Country time.

We fed the sheep.

The girls loved all the baby sheep.

We toured the countryside. We looked for deer and found this baby on the property. Those deer move fast once they see you!
Of course, the girls did a craft or two.

Another given, s'more time with good friends.

Now, it's back to regular life and back to reality (name that song!). Hope your holiday time off was just as wonderful, but without any stomach illnesses.

Final Great Giveaway!

The Beauty of Different Giveaway

This will be my last giveaway this month and it's the one I'm most excited about. I started the giveaways as a celebration and thank you for the past year of blogging. It seems fitting that I give away the book written by my friend Karen, without whom I would have never known about blogging & all of you.

Karen has written the most wonderful book, called The Beauty of Different: Observations of a Confident Misfit. It is substantial (both in subject matter and heft). It is beautiful, it is thoughtful, it is inspiring, it is something you need. I'm not just saying this because I'm in the book...although, that is pretty much one of the coolest things ever. I'm saying it because the book is truly worth it. I bought several copies and want to give one to you. I will also get Karen to sign it for you. There you have it, a GORGEOUS book, autographed just for you.

If this Beautiful book isn't enough, I'm also giving away several of my Favorite items from the past year. Plan on a few accessories, beauty products, maybe a snack or two. Just to thank you for being here and being part of my story.

Rules:

The contest will remain open for one week, ending December 7 at approximately 11pm CT. Winner will be selected through a random drawing. I'll email the winner and post here once the winner has been notified. You will get an entry for the following:

1) Leave a comment on what you think is most beautiful, where you go to find beauty, how you see beauty, or what makes you different. You must leave your email address if it is not linked through your profile.

2) If you leave a comment AND commented on the Scotch Tape giveaway (now closed), you will get an extra entry.

3) You do NOT need to be a follower. If you are a follower (or become one), you will get an extra entry if you comment.

Thanks again for being here & Good Luck!

*The giveaway is now closed. Sarah is the winner and I couldn't be happier, she's been a great supporter and friend. Thanks again for your beautiful comments.*

Hill Country Getaway - Part 2

We had a wonderful extended weekend in the Texas Hill Country. We all got to enjoy nature and relaxing with good friends, "camping" and "hunting" (my husband took my oldest daughter out one morning but they didn't see any deer at that time), we fed the deer, and I ran into a Texas animal trifecta- a deer, armadillo, and Longhorn-just roaming free! We enjoyed beautiful sunsets, and capped off our getaway with margaritas and s'mores last night. Some may wonder why we love going to the Texas Hill Country so much. These shots should give you an idea of the slower pace, the natural beauty and easy life out there. Plus, it's just one big photo op... my camera is still in the shop, these are point and shoot-pretty fantastic subjects!

I'd love to know what your favorite getaway is- is it urban so you can see shows and have fabulous meals & shopping, or more rural, or the beach?

Hill Country Getaway

Who knew what you all wanted was a Target giveaway?! Thanks so much for your response and remember, you have until Thursday to enter. I also have two more giveaways this month, so stay tuned. Since the holiday rush is about to start, we took this weekend to escape to the Texas Hill Country. We're staying at our friend's ranch property and enjoying sunsets like this; proof God Blessed Texas!

The University of Texas in Pictures

Cloudy with a Chance of Bitterness

I was in Austin this weekend with some good friends. Thankfully I did not attend the "game" (I use that term very loosely-Gah ARGH). After the "game," I desperately needed to run and headed for campus. I was not disappointed. I managed to run off most of my frustration with the Texas coaching staff and saw some favorite spots as I ran. I took these shots from various points using my phone-gotta love lightweight technology. (By the way, anyone have ideas for super small, lighweight cameras I could take with me on runs?)


The Tower (and "six pack") with gloomy skies. It's like God was upset with the Longhorns too!

The Stadium. Usually a place for much celebration. Notsomuch lately.The fountain outside the LBJ Library. I used to study on the right side of that hill in the Spring.

It was really fun to run through campus and not have to worry about an exam or paper. But, it would have been MUCH better if we'd won the game! Remember to stop by Draft Day later for my Big 12 recap.

Favorite Photo-Travel Edition

About a month ago, I attended the wedding of my dear friend, Brooke. Brooke was married in her hometown of Asheboro, North Carolina. It is such a sweet small town, I had to capture some images. Here are my favorites.

I can't resist a red door. This one belongs to the wedding chapel. Unfortunately, photos weren't permitted inside. Too bad, it was a beautifully restored old chapel.

*I thought you'd appreciate not being able to see the hand injury on the front page!

Weekend in Pictures

The last few days we've been up to little things: A little outside time

A little festival time.
A little harvesting our bluebonnets for Fall planting

A little festival funnel cake.

A little Saturday evening speed drive to the neighborhood urgent care clinic.

You can thank me for taking what is the cleanest shot of this... and burying it several lines down.

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Don't scroll if you are squeamish or eating.
-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-
-

-

-

-

-

-

-
-

A little crying.

More details later-but 13 stitches. What a trooper.

A little of this, a little of that. How about you? Any emergencies this weekend? Nope, that was probably just us, huh? Don't worry, we'll return to our regularly scheduled crafting, decorating, and fashion-ing soon!

Blowing Off Summer

Summer is almost over. Well, the heat will be sticking around for several more weeks. Who am I kidding? It will be Halloween before the temperatures really drop. But, school has started and football is about to start (YES!), our schedules just get busier and busier during the fall. So, this weekend, I made sure I took some time to play as a family.

We got out the bubbles and just let the girls go crazy. They went through bottles of bubbles and made amazing bubbles.
The girls were soaking in suds by the end of the bubble session. They laughed, screamed, and were so proud of the bigger and bigger bubbles they created.

We all had a blast. We may make this a weekly tradition. Blowing bubbles is just plain fun for everyone. I don't think you can be in a bad mood when bubbles are around!