Mrs. Southern Belle

Keating's Birthday Recap

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Keating had a great 2nd birthday! I was hoping that the weatherman had been wrong about the predicted temperatures and wind gusts, but naturally this one time he was right! The party was still a huge success despite the cold. I think this is something we are going to have to deal with every year, it's just part of having a February birthday. We decided to get the inflatable Cars bounce anyways and staked it down securely. I am glad that we did, apparently kids don't care how cold it is, they will play despite frost bite and snot running down their faces. Lovely.

Here are a few pics of the decorations I took before all of the food was set out. In case you are wondering, people had a lot more to choose from than cupcakes and ring pops! We also had a "hot dog bar" with a lot of fun fixings, homemade potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans and a variety of delectable dips. After seeing the huge balloons that Erika at Urban Grace got for her daughter's birthday party, I had to track them down. I had planned on also using these for Keating's 2 year old photos, but it was way too cold and he fell and busted his lip... so much for photos with massive balloons.

I also ~~stole~~ borrowed her idea of using candy melts to make polka dots on the cake. (I have to give credit where credit is due, she is one creative lady) The cake was a boxed yellow cake with homemade almond buttercream frosting. YUM!

They were accompanied with lemon cupcakes and vanilla buttercream frosting.

Keating posing in his classic "cheese face." It is really quite hard to get him to make as normal face these days.

Much better. (If you ever want to know how much pregnancy weight you have gained, just have your photo taken... yikes!)

This was the first present that Keating pulled out of the bag when it was time to open gifts. He grabbed the shovel, hopped off the couch and ran to the back yard to start playing with it. Needless to say, he loved the gift and was ready to get to work in the yard! After I drug him back in, he got lots of great gifts that he also went crazy over. He wanted to start playing with each one as he opened it.

He had mastered how to sing himself "happy birthday" in the previous week so he was a pro when it was time to sing.

And even blew out the candle without spitting all over the cake!We were so happy that so many family and friends could be there to share in our man's 2nd birthday. He truly had a blast and was exhausted by the end of the day.

Thanks for all of Keating's birthday wishes, if he could read my blog, facebook, and twitter page he would be very thankful!

The bad thing about old photos...

2012-02-10T14:22:00.004-05:00

Is that they make you realize how young and in shape you once were! The photos that I put up in my last post have been buried away in old facebook albums for years. I can't remember the last time that I looked at them, and some of them Brad had never even seen. I would be lying if I said we weren't a little shocked by how we have ~~aged~~ changed in the last 4 years! I guess it is just part of life, but after Archer arrives it is going to be post baby boot camp for me!! I have a class reunion in May so it will be crunch time... literally!

This weekend is Keating's 2nd birthday party. Where in the world did the last 2 years go? Of course I remember it like it was yesterday that I was holding a tiny new baby in my arms. Now that baby is 2 years old and going to be an older brother. It is all pretty crazy to think about! Keating is really excited about his birthday this year. I'm not sure that he completely understands what is going on, but when we talk about it he sings "Happy Birthday to YOU" to himself. He is nothing short of a ham!

Since he LOVES anything truck/ tractor/ dirt related I decided to do a dump truck party. I haven't done a whole lot of planning, so I hope it all comes together okay! I personally think kids birthday parties have gotten a little out of hand. The ones you see on pinterest are starting to get insanely over the top. I wanted to keep it simple, and I think I did just that. Everything is going to be yellow and white, we are decorating with trucks and tractors we already had and fun balloons I ordered online. For food we are having hot dogs and homemade cake. Easy peasy.

I made the invitations on my lunch break using Powerpoint. I had never thought to use Powerpoint to make something for printing. My work computer doesn't have Photoshop so desperate times called for desperate measures. I was really happy with the results and it was so easy! Sunday we plan to hang out around the house, and I may work on projects for the nursery. That is about all we have going on for the weekend! I hope that everyone has a great weekend!

Our Love Story: Q & A

2012-02-09T11:36:00.010-05:00

I saw this little quiz on Blue Eyed Bride's page from Mrs to Mama and thought it looked like fun!

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?
Brad and I technically started dating July 14, 2006. He doesn’t recall the exact date… but of course I do. We had been spending a lot of time together and I left for a trip to Napa with my
family. While I was gone I didn’t have a lot of cell phone service, and it drove him crazy not being able to talk to me. (he would beg to differ, but the numerous sweet messages I received while away would say otherwise) When I got home from my trip I went as his date to his friend’s wedding and that pretty much sealed the deal.

2. How did you meet? {What’s your “love” story?}
We officially met at church, but we have crossed paths many times over the years. I started re-attending the church that I grew up in and Brad randomly overslept for his church’s service one day. He decided to go to church with one of our mutual friends. He loved me instantly. HAHA kidding!

3. If married, how long have you been married?
Married 3 years!

4. If you are married, where did you get married? Big or small wedding?
We got married in a large ceremony in his aunt and uncles gorgeous garden. It was the perfect fall day for a wedding!

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!
I call him Bradford, its his middle name. I guess technically “Brad” is a nick-name. He calls me Candy.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.
- His love and loyalty to his family, it has been amazing to see him transform as a dad. He is so great with Keating and is really excited to be having another little man on the way. I don’t think he realizes how much Keating looks up to him.
-He always sees the good in people. I tend to be a bit pessimistic and at times judgmental (who me?!) I think he helps balance this out in me.
-He is simple. I know this soundsnegative but it really isn’t. He is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and doesn’t need anything fancy to make him happy. He takes joy in the small things, which I believe is one of the keys to happiness.

7. Tell us how he proposed?
We went to Jekyll Island for his best friend Michelle’s wedding. Michelle had been his go-to lady for help with picking a ring and wanted him to pop the question while we were all in Jekyll Island. Very kind of her giving up a little of her spotlight! Towards the end of the reception, Brad suggested that we go for a walk. We walked down to the waterway, and me, being totally
clueless had no clue why the wedding photographer was waiting for us. Brad said that he wanted to get a few photos of us, being a photography lover; I thought it was a great idea! Next thing I know, he is on one knee proposing. It was great that we have photos of such a special moment!

8. Is he a flowers and teddy
bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals? He’s more of a lets go out to dinner kind of guy. Neither of us really gets in to the commercial part of Valentine’s day, but we do enjoy a nice dinner out.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?
As lovely as a sunset on the beach sounds, that is not realistic in the slightest at our current stage of life. Most nights we watch a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory on the couch and then pass out. The last movie we watched together was The Lion King and had a blast. Oh how children change your life!

10. Tell us one thing you’d like to do with your significant other one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?
I would love to go to Italy together. For some reason he has no interest in leaving the country except to go to Ireland or Australia, but I REALLY want to go back to Italy. I’m thinking one day after our kids are older and he wants to make me a VERY happy girl, he will give in and go. *hint hint*

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine’s Day.
We haven’t even discussed it. Keating’s birthday is on February 13 so this usually surpasses our Valentines plans.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine’s day?
Nope! But I do love chocolate, not that I need any!

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
Being honest, realistic, and just being each other’s friend. I think going in to marriage, a lot of people have a preconceived notion that it’s going to be wine and roses every night, and that isn’t real life. Life isn’t always romantic. Marriage is being forgiving, loving each other’s faults and bringing out the best in each other. It’s family trips to Home Depot, making pancakes on
Saturday mornings, and managing a few quiet minutes together every day. I know this is just the season of life we are currently in, but I am soaking it up. Brad is my best friend, and every day I wake up knowing I have him as a partner, is a great day!

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you

28 Weeks

2012-02-03T15:11:00.004-05:00

How far along? 28 Weeks 79 days to go! WOW!

Total weight gain: 17.5 as of my appointment this morning

Maternity clothes? Bottoms yes, tops are long tops, former dresses or maternity tops

Stretch marks? nope! But running low on the Mama Mio. I better place an order soon!

Sleep: Its been wonderful, sadly I never feel like I get enough. I was yawning the other day and Keating said "Drink coffee Mama!" Smart boy!

Best moment this week: Lets see, I got the glucose test out of the way this morning... hopefully I pass that with flying colors. Also our house keeper started coming this week. That is a GOD SEND! I am also in the home stretch and started 3rd Trimester.

Miss Anything? Bending over and normal jeans

Movement: yep! I feel like he is a little calmer than Keating was in the womb.

Food cravings: Rootbeer floats. MMMMmmmm

Food aversions: none

Gender: Boy!!

Labor Signs: No real ones, but I felt like he was going to fall out last weekend. He's sitting super low. I thought he was head down, but turns out he is currently breech. I guess we will see if he finds the right direction soon enough.

Symptoms: Waddling due to hip/ round ligament pain.

Belly Button in or out? It has been coming and going. I think it all depends on how he's sitting in there.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Looking forward to: the weekend!

Signs of Spring at Target!

2012-01-31T13:47:00.004-05:00

As I am nearing the end of my pregnancy and spring like days are starting to pop up... I am finding it increasingly more difficult to get dressed in the mornings. Most of my maternity clothes are fall/ winter with lots of black and gray. I really want to buy a few bright new things to carry me into Spring, but I don't want to purchase any more maternity wear.

Lately I have utilized wearing many of my old dresses as shirts to increase my options. Then it occurred to me that I can do the same thing with new dresses... DING DING DING! Although, they may have to be paired with leggings for a while. =) Here are a few of the dresses that I am loving from Target.

I'm not sure how this sunny yellow will look on me in person, but it is definitely going to be ordered to find out! Sadly this emerald green dress is sold out online, but I will be watching for it to return! I am loving, LOVING emerald green everything right now. This dress comes in a berry color that I could not find a photo for, it is also in my shopping cart =) I really hope Brad doesn't read this post!

And this is the maternity version of this particular dress, but it also comes in regular and lots of pretty colors. Yes please!

Random Photos and Thoughts

2012-01-26T10:19:00.003-05:00

1. My master bathroom needs help. Particularly this little corner. Excuse the dark phone photo. We hung the lantern that used to be over our kitchen table over it the other day, and it helped with the bare/ dark look, but it still needs a lot. I am thinking of dressing up the roman shades and maybe adding a cornice board? Thoughts? Other opinions? (just keeping it real with the baby shampoo and unfolded towels)2. This little man will be 2 in less than 3 weeks. My where have the last 2 years gone? I had no idea that having a baby would put so much joy and humor into our lives. He keeps us laughing all the time. The personality and the things that this child says just blow my mind sometimes. Lately he has clung to the words that he shouldn't be repeating. We have had to clean up our act, especially when telling our dog Ike that he is a P.I.T.A (pain in the...) For a toddler that has a problem making "s" sounds... he says "ass" just fine!

He is having a dump truck party, because he is currently obsessed with all things dirt/ tractor/ truck related. He also likes having a beard like his dad.

3. Speaking of the P.I.T.A. Ike, (the dog formerly introduced as "Riggs") is getting huge. We changed his name, Keating couldnt say Riggs and Ike just fit him better. Initially we thought he was a very lethargic puppy, but after being diagnosed with worms, eww, and going through treatment, he has been in rare form. He really leads a rough life as you can tell. He has been very stubborn when it comes to house training, but is getting much better. Having our fence in the back yard has really helped. Lola now likes him about 10% of the time, which is an improvement from despising him. He and Keating love running around the yard together, I know they will be best friends.

4. It became quickly evident that Keating was ready for a big bed after I caught him doing this. He never actually made the jump, but he could have had he not been stopped. He had gotten to the point that he wasn't sleeping great in the crib, and luckily moving him into a big bed solved this problem. I think he just needed more room. What is even better is we kicked Lola out of our room and she now sleeps with him. Its a win win! Keating thinks its great that Lola will sleep on his bed, we think its great that we dont have a snoring Boston Terrier keeping us up all hours of the night.

5. I have three fabrics that I love for Archer's nursery, and sadly they dont all go together like I had hoped. As Tim Gunn would say "Candace, you need to edit." The fabric on the right is going to be for the drapes. I have been eyeing this at my local fabric store for some time, and yesterday I found it for less than $7 a yard. Online it is normally $20! I still adore this Serena and Lily houndstooth print, which isnt as yellow as my iphone/ instagram makes it look. We also don't have orange carpet. The fabric at the bottom is probably one I could do without if needed. I bought it simply for the color combination.

My course of action is to get the drapes made/ hung first, and then slowly add in the other patterns to see how they work together.

Besides being super excited about my weekly dose of vampire love with Vampire Diaries tonight, that is about all I have going on this Thursday. I would love your thoughts on my decorating dilemmas!

Pom Pom Dish Towel

2012-01-23T20:59:00.005-05:00

This is a project that I have had in my head since Christmas and I finally got around to completing it... and now blogging about it. Two big steps for me! 1. Because I have a million half finished projects sitting around my house (ask my husband), and 2. because I never get around to posting instructions for anything I make. There is a first time for everything I suppose! This is a great & quick project and would make a cute gift if you were in a pinch.

I first got the idea when I received a hand towel similar to this as a hostess gift. It sat pretty in my kitchen until all of the Christmas decor came down, and I knew I needed to figure out how to make another one. I went through a little trial and error and came upon the way that worked best for me. I also made it absorbent with a towel backing. I hope you enjoy! If you happen to make one please share the result, I would love to see!

My #1 helper and his zoo of animals had fun helping too.

Supplies:

Scrap fabric -I think I used around 1/2 yard it depends more upon the size towel you use.

Bar towels - I got a two pack at Wal-mart for around $2

Pom Pom Fringe - 1 yard

Press fabric and towels and cut fabric size to match towels.

Trim off all corners of towels

With right sides together - Using a .25 inch seam allowance, sew together all edges except for the bottom - leave it open

Turn towel right side out and press.

Fold under/ in the bottom edge of fabric and towel about a .5 inch and press flat.

(I forgot to take photos of this step) Place pom pom fringe inside open edge and pin shut. Using a .25 seam allowance sew the bottom side shut. When you reach the edge, turn and continue seam around the rest of the towel to finish.

And Voila! A quick and easy dish towel!

I love the lemon pattern, but any fabric would be great. The pom pom fringe makes it extra fun!

These could also make a great absorbent burp cloth with a smaller trim or leaving it off completely.

The great thing about them is that they are pretty, but also functional because of the towel backing.

If there are any holes in my instructions or any confusion, please ask away. Please remember I am new at this whole tutorial thing! =)

26 Weeks

2012-01-16T13:46:00.003-05:00

26 Weeks!

For comparison sake, here I am at 26 weeks with Keating

How far along? 26 weeks! 97 days to go!

Total weight gain: 11 lbs as of my appointment last week, so I'm guessing 12 now?

Maternity clothes? Some, most work clothes are, casual clothes are a mix. I am getting away with longer shirts/ dresses and leggings. I'm starting to remember why I hated maternity pants... because they never stay up and leave you with a saggy butt. I avoid them when possible.

Stretch marks? negative

Sleep: Pretty good despite the constant dance party in my belly!

Best moment this week: This is my last week in 2nd trimester. I can't believe how fast this is flying by! Also, picking out things for Archer's room and starting on a few projects. On a fun note, his little eyelashes are forming this week. Praying for long ones like his brothers!

Miss Anything? I would kill for a giant plate of Ahi Tuna.

Movement: He's kicking as I type. He gets especially active when I hold Keating. Could sibling rivalry be starting already?

Food cravings: Eggs cooked any way, Key lime pie greek yogurt, cherry coke, and orange juice mixed with ginger ale... a faux mimosa if you will...

Food aversions: none

Gender: Boy!!

Labor Signs: none thank goodness. I'm not ready at all!

Symptoms: Besides a big 'ol belly and round ligament pain, not much

Belly Button in or out? Sadly its been out for a long time. I tape it down with athletic tape! True story.

Wedding rings on or off? On. I think my hands actually shrink during pregnancy

Looking forward to: Third trimester and finishing this pain staking baby blanket I have been working on. Archer better LOVE it! =)

Here's a little comparison from week 24. I think I have popped out a good bit since then. My employees are starting to get brave and ask when I am due. Up until now I guess they just thought I was getting fat!

And because I haven't posted any photos of this stinker in awhile... Here is his new "CHEESE" face.

Here come's the sun

2012-01-13T10:00:00.006-05:00

I can't tell you how glad I am to see the sun in the weekend forecast, even if it is a freezing 42 degrees here today in Atlanta with snow flurries. After nearly two weeks of rain, I'll take what I can get! Our house has been a mess lately. A cooped up puppy and toddler tracking in mud is not a pretty thing. The other day I ran into Wal-Mart for groceries and I spotted these great rain boots for Keating. Believe it or not, I had been looking for plain rainboots for him for some time. I didn't want any crazy googly eyes or spider-man on them... just old fashioned rain boots. I couldn't have found these at a better time with our back yard currently looking like a swamp. They were also on clearance! He is quite the fan of his new rain boots, and so is his mom since we can just hose them off!

I know I have mentioned it here in the past, but I have a love for seasonal candy. Candy corn at halloween, anything peppermint at Christmas, and these lovelies around valentines day! They are currently on the store shelves and I may or may not have nearly eaten an entire bag. I think they're so good, even though most of the population thinks they taste like chalk!

Speaking of Valentine's day, on February 13th Keating will be 2 years old!! He was the best Valentine's gift I could have ever gotten. This year I decided to throw him a real birthday party, now that we are in our own house. I hope the weather cooperates since the weekend he was born we had a snow/ ice storm and barely made it to the hospital.

And speaking of babies, I found what I thought was coordinating fabrics to go with the Serena and Lily lime green houndstooth fabric I bought for Archer's crib sheets. Sadly the three prints really clash when next to each other. I'm hoping to use them as accents in the room, but not the main focal point. I am currently working on a baby blanket out of the bottom fabric. I can't wait to finish it up this weekend!

I'm thinking it is time to switch Keating to a big boy bed. He has learned to climb into his crib, and it is only a matter of time before he isn't too afraid to climb out. Hopefully it is an easy adjustment. Does anyone have any pointers?

I plan to do his bed in simple bedding with this fabric as an accent. He loves trucks and this happens to match a lot of the existing things in his room. This weekend's tentative agenda includes

-finish painting entry way shelf now that it isn't raining

-hang entry way shelf

-hang more photos/ art in the house (our walls are looking quite bare)

-finish Archer's baby blanket

-find bedding for Keating's big boy bed.

Hopefully I can squeeze all of this in!!! I'm probably taking on way more than I can accomplish, but it helps to have a list. Do you have a productive weekend planned?

Successful/ Unsuccessful Pins

2012-01-10T15:57:00.005-05:00

Pinterest has really taken the internet by storm. Seriously what did I do when I waited in the Dr's office or a long check out line before I could scroll through lists of pretty pinned items and ideas?? I used to have a folder saved on my computer of saved photos that I wanted for future keeping. Pinterest has one-upped that with a link back to the original source and a way to share them with others. Why didnt I think of that?!

Here are a few of the Pins that I have tried lately.

Source: handletheheat.com via Candace on Pinterest

I made this baked potato soup a few weeks ago. I liked it, but Brad didn't. He's more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, not a soup man... I doubled the recipe because the original wouldn't feed a bird.

Source: homemadeserenity.blogspot.com via Candace on Pinterest

This really works! I have a jar of onions regrowing on my kitchen window!

Source: quick-dish.tablespoon.com via Candace on Pinterest

We made this for Christmas morning brunch. It was GREAT! I swapped out the milk for Egg nog to make it festive, and I splurged on the real maple syrup. YUM!

Source: aestheticnest.com via Candace on Pinterest

I am currently working on a variation of this blanket for the nursery. It is taking MUCH longer than I anticipated. Hopefully it will be worth it!

Source: mrsregueiro.com via Candace on Pinterest

We had these for dinner a few weeks ago. They were really fast and very good. I kept the buffalo sauce on the side so that Keating could have them too.

Source: nikinikinine.blogspot.com via Candace on Pinterest

I loved the idea of the trim on these curtains so much, I added black trim to my living room curtains. Kind of wishing I had gone with a bolder color now...

Source: cookiesandcups.blogspot.com via Candace on Pinterest

This is one of the most incredible things I have EVER baked. AMAZING. Warning though, they have a TON of butter in them!

Source: thekitchn.com via Candace on Pinterest

I also made this, but with store bought graham crackers and pudding. It was still quite good, but I am sure the entirely homemade version is amazing.

Source: Uploaded by user via Candace on Pinterest

I tried the sockbun curls before I cut my hair. I looked like an idiot. My hair looked NOTHING like this.

Source: abryanphoto.com via Candace on Pinterest

We did a variation of this pin for our Christmas cards. I thought it turned out cute. =)

What have you pinned that you loved or hated? Please share!! Also, if you would like to add me to your list on Pinterest you can do so on my sidebar. I pin a lot of food... you have been warned!

2012 To Do's

2012-01-03T15:12:00.004-05:00

I have decided not to make a resolution list this year, because I always fall short... way short. Instead I compiled a list of "to do's" that I would like to try to accomplish this year. Here is my list!

-Be better at documenting our daily lives with photography. 2011 I was learning to balance a career and motherhood and it isn't such an easy task. I missed a lot of great photo opportunities that I already regret. I have struggled with this decision, but I have decided to give up my little photography venture until I feel that there is enough free time to go around. While it is nice to have the extra funds, I don't have the time. With a growing family and working, I want to be able to devote all of my spare time to my children. (children... wow that's weird to type)

- Read more books. In 2011 I wanted to read 10 books. I'm embarassed to say that I only read two. They were great books (The Help and Heaven is For Real), but this year I want to read more. I am starting to debate if I would read more off of my book list with a kindle. Do you have one? What is your opinion? I am thinking it would be super handy to read without page turning during maternity leave.

-Bake Bread This may seem like a random to do, but I came across the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and I have been dying to try this. Bread is always seen as the enemy... but I love fresh baked bread, and what better to have it baking in your own house. I also like knowing exactly what is in it. I'm not a super health freak, (in case you haven't noticed) but a little flour and yeast sounds much better for you than the store bought ingredients that you can't even pronounce. The authors of the book also have a healthy bread book and a pizza dough book. Can't wait to try it out.

-Sending Cards A friend of my mom's is amazing at sending out thoughtful cards, just because. We got one this year for our 3 year anniversary! How nice is it to get a card and know that someone is thinking of you? I have decided that I want to be just like her when I grow up! =) So here is to being faster at sending out thank you notes, and actually sending a just thinking of you note, instead of putting it off.

- Drink more bubbly No, I'm not planning on becoming an alcoholic. I just think life is worth celebrating! Toasting to a special occasion or even a random Thursday makes the day to day grind more festive.

Be a better blogger - Not too long ago I went back to the olden days of my blog, and I couldn't believe that I posted nearly every day. I'm not promising that I will blog every day, but I'm going to try to get a few more posts in a week. I know my MawMaw will appreciate this!

Be a better wife/ mom I need to be more present. I pay far too much attention to my iphone. I have tried to be better about putting it away when I get home, but the allure of twitter, pinterest or blog reading is always there. I have to constantly remind myself that these things have their perks, but they are taking away precious time from those I love. Also under this to do is to devote more time to planning family meals, even if they are made in a crock pot. I think using some sort of meal planning system would give back a lot of time wasted during the week when we are trying to figure out what to eat. It would also give us a little variety in the dinner department. Any suggestions?

I want to be a more thoughtful wife and a more fun mom. I used to send Brad text messages of bible verses or leave him little notes here and there, I want to get back to doing nice gestures like that. Last but not least, I want to make sure that the time that Keating and I get to spend together is special. Maybe plan more trips to the park, taking walks together, or have him help me bake... even if he makes twice the mess. With our new arrival expected in April, I want Keating to continue to feel special and loved.

I am sure that I could keep going with this list, but then it probably wouldn't get finished and next year I would be in the same unresoluted situation. CHEERS to 2012!!! What are your resolutions or non-resolutions?

Nursery Ideas

2011-12-29T11:52:00.004-05:00

They always say that with the second child, you dont have as much time to prepare. You just wing it. So far, this has been entirely true. I have been relying on the fact that we already have everything we need this go round... although it is all boxed up somewhere in the basement.

I have started feeling a bit guilty that I haven't gone overboard on everything for Archer. At this point with Keating, he had a closet of clothes and a nearly finished nursery. Archer has hand-me-down clothes and a room that has been the "catch all" for the rest of the house. Total mom fail. I still have until late April, but now that Christmas is passed, I can have a clear head and get to business.

I have a picture in my mind of what I want the nursery to look like but I can't seem to find any images that are just right. Boy nurseries can easily go into the themed category if you aren't careful... which ended up happening in Keating's room. I wanted a few cowboy touches, and then the entire room took a western turn. Looking back, it was still really cute, but I probably would have scaled down the cowboy touches a bit. Here are some of the inspiration photos that I have taken bits and pieces of ideas from.

I LOVE the sheets on this bed. I couldn't find the sheets because they are discontinued from Serena and Lily. Lucky for me, they still had the fabric. I am going to try my mad sewing skills at making a crib sheet. Cant be too tough right? Sadly Archer's room is no where close to this big.

Source: blog.holamama.es via Candace on Pinterest

Yes I realize, some of these are girly nurseries, but I loved the orange and the striped walls in this one. Although... I will never paint striped walls in my house again after the disaster of painting my old bathroom. I also like the book shelves flanking the window.

Source: decorpad.com via Candace on Pinterest

Yet another image with the houndstooth sheets. I love houndstooth. Its a sickness really. I love the simple bedding in this crib, but I think I would swap out the black for navy blue.

Source: littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com via Candace on Pinterest

More book shelves. I love how these look built in. I'm thinking this could be done with Ikea bookcases.... I also love the abstract artwork.

Source: stellaandhenry.com via Candace on Pinterest

The existing wall color *I think* is Misty by Sherwin Williams. I really love it, so I want to make it work as Tim Gunn would say. I would also like to have a dresser/ changing table in a fun pop of color. As you can see, I have a long way to go, and not much time to get there! All I really have right now is inspiration photos, so I will share a bit more as the room progresses.

Post Christmas Post and a Puppy

2011-12-28T15:09:00.006-05:00

Happy Belated Christmas friends! I admit that a day or two ago, I was a little sad that Christmas was complete. I was still clinging on by listening to the Michael Buble Christmas CD in the car... but since then, I am glad that it is past and that we have 12 months to recover until next year! Now only if spring could hurry up a bit, I am officially over cold weather after Christmas!

Christmas was wonderful. We spent Christmas eve at our church's service, where Keating actually sat through the entire thing. I am sure it helped that there was snow falling from the ceiling and lots of singing and acting, but I will take what I can get!

After church we went to my parent's house where we had a traditional cajun Christmas eve dinner of seafood gumbo. Keating got to open the first present this Christmas and my parents decided to give him his biggest gift first. That pretty much distracted him the rest of the night because he is so obsessed with this tractor! I still haven't uploaded any photos so all that we have are iphone pics.

Even though Keating didn't really understand the excitement of Christmas morning, he woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to start the day. I stuck him in our bed for a few minutes so that I could put on a smidge of makeup before going into the living room. Call me vain, but Christmas morning photos live on for-ev-er. Keating had a little bedhead, but he isn't ashamed. If you happened to notice the festive red sheets on our bed, I wasn't trying to be Christmasy, thats just what we threw on when Keating decided to color with Sharpie all over our WHITE duvet and sheets the day before. But thats a different post for a different day.

We kept it simple, but Santa was pretty good to Keating. He hadn't gotten any new toys in a long time, so he was due for a few upgrades. A few of his favorites were his remote controlled police car, a basketball that Lola immediately popped, his Sesame Street toys, and the magnadoodle that I added last minute after the Sharpie incident.

Santa... or Brad was very good to me as well. I got a few great stocking stuffers such as travel toiletry bags from West Elm, a new Iphone cover, and a housekeeping service for 6 months!!!! That man really knows the way to my heart, or he is just tired of having a dirty house!

I also got the most beautiful pair of Frye boots I've ever laid eyes on. I've been asking for a pair every Christmas since we got married. I told Brad I'd wear them the rest of my life if I got them. So far that has been true, they haven't left my feet except to sleep.

And to add one more surprise to the list, Brad and his talented carpenter friend made the shelf that I have been dying for ever since I saw this photo! I can't wait to get it hung up! It is really going to finish the look of our entry way.

Which brings me to the final "gift" of Christmas... Santa made a late delivery and this little guy came to live with us yesterday. Brad has been dying for another German Shepherd and this week we finally found one in our price range. Brad called on the ad, but told me that all of the puppies had been sold. Of course he was pulling a fast one on me, because he had one reserved. Yes we are quite crazy to bring a puppy into the house with a baby on the way! I think the pregnancy hormones are eating my brain. But just look at that face! Also take notice of his ENORMOUS paws, this guy is going to be a beast.

Keating and "Riggs" (his unofficial name) have become fast friends. They follow each other around and enjoy sitting in the dog crate together, or sharing toothbrushes. He's great at sharing, but we are working on not sharing quite so much stuff with dogs!

Poor Lola on the other hand... is not a fan. Not. One. Bit. She and I are officially outnumbered in the male to female ratio in the house.
Well, I'd say that pretty much sums up our Christmas. I am ready to get all of our decorations down so that we can start the New Year off to a fresh start. That also means less stuff for a toddler and a puppy to get in to! I know 2012 is going to be one crazy year! I can't wait to see whats in store!

"Is your house on fire Clark?"

2011-12-20T10:39:00.004-05:00

"No Aunt Bethany, that's the Christmas lights"

Brad has turned in to Clark Griswold. Below is a photo of our house at night. It lights up the block! We live in a neighborhood with a lot of elderly people who hardly decorate, so to say that our house stands out would be quite the understatement! I think we really liven the place up. I just hope no passing airplanes mistake us for the airport! It is really so bright, that the other night at 2am Keating woke up and thought it was time to wake up. We forgot to turn off a section of them before bed. Yes, they are plugged in to different outlets because they trip the breaker... I told you, my husband is truly Sparky. We have since made sure that everything is turned off before bed. I'm sure our neighbors that go to bed at 7pm appreciate the nights when we forget to turn them off!

Christmas has been fun this year now that Keating is a little older. He still doesn't understand the whole Santa hooplah, but he loves the lights and the ornaments and the homemade treats. In the next few days I hope to get the energy together to decorate cookies with him.

We have had quite the time keeping him away from the Christmas tree. Our tree is quite bare this year because I took off a lot of the breakable balls that normally help to fill in its sparse false branches. I wish I had bought more non breakable ornaments, but at this point, I think it is a little too late. Maybe next year! Keating has been walking up to the tree and says "no, no, no!" Think he has been told that a time or two lately? =) I keep toying with the idea of getting a real tree next year. They smell so amazing. We will see!

He also loved the fake snow in my lanterns that used to sit on our kitchen table. After a few mishaps, they have been moved outside for the remainder of Christmas.

I have been wanting to start a yearly ornament tradition for Keating, and next year for Archer. (It is a little surreal to write that!) Growing up, my Nannie would send each of her Grandkids an ornament with their name and the year engraved on it. I remember waiting for it to arrive every year to see what it would be. Now those special ornaments adorn our tree, and remind me of her when I look at them. I think it would be special to start that for my own children. Does anyone else do something like this to commemorate the year?

Every year since we have been married, my mom gives us a gorgeous swarovski snowflake ornament. Thanks mom! This will be our 4th one! Where does time go?

I also head out when the first decorations go up in ~~August~~ November and purchase the yearly Wallace sleigh bell to add to our growing collection. Do you have a growing ornament collection? Are there any annual ornaments I am missing out on? Any that would be great for kids? I love how our Christmas traditions have started to evolve as our little family has grown. There is a lot of pressure at Christmas to make everything perfect. I know that some of my decorations are a little sparse and there are tons of things that I wish we had time to do, but not enough hours in the day to do them. These things aren't what is important, and I have to keep reminding myself of that. Years from now looking back, these days will be treasured exactly as they are. I won't look back thinking I wish I had more balls on my tree. I will think about the precious little boy running around in footie pajamas on Christmas morning, and be blown away by how fast time has flown. ... okay enough emotion, I'm tearing up.

I hope everyone has a great week leading up to Christmas!

A very Carroll Christmas

2011-12-16T13:52:00.005-05:00

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!" - Buddy the Elf

These are the Christmas cards that we sent out this year. I am so happy with the way they turned out! Once again I used shutterfly, and was SO pleased with the outcome. The fact that all three of us and Lola are looking at the camera is quite the accomplishment! Those with toddlers and crazy dogs know what I am talking about.

Keating was sick when we had the photos taken, so this is really the only photo where he is being his normal silly self. I thought the quote from Buddy the Elf was perfect. Keating doesn't really understand Christmas this year, but he has enjoyed the perks of Christmas lights, the tree and his new favorite beverage eggnog! It is going to be hard to explain to him that eggnog is seasonal and he can't have it year round. He's especially curious about the ornaments (all of the special ones have been put up high), and recently he became interested in the gifts. Yesterday he snuck away with a pair of scissors and was trying to cut the paper off of the presents under the tree. Yes, I am an awful mom and I had scissors within reach of a toddler. Honestly though, the kid knows how to use a Dewalt drill and tries to take apart his toys with screw drivers... scissors are the least of our problems! I guess I can blame his love of tools on all of the house renovations.

Keating is also not interested in Santa at all. It doesnt matter the movies we show him or trips to see him... he is not a fan of "Hayha" (he isnt great with saying his S's). As seen from the photo below. While standing in line we tried talking Santa up about being a nice man, and that Reece was going to sit with him too. Reece went first, and as soon as she sat down Keating started flipping out. We thought he may at least sit on his lap with her there, not so much. He can chat in the check out line at the grocery store and be a regular comedian at the barber shop, but put him in a bearded man's lap and he flips out. Dont have too much sympathy, he is a pro at whipping out those big 'ol crocodile tears!

This weekend we will be venturing up to the mountains for Brad's family's annual "Carroll Christmas." I must say it is quite festive to have Carroll as a last name this time of year! His family goes all out with wonderful food, skeet shooting, a children's nativity, and a basket swap for everyone's homemade treats. Then, Saturday night we will be in Atlanta for Brad's company party. Keating's awesome Auntie will be watching him that night, so that we can stay out past 9 o'clock! Should be a nice little Christmasy weekend, just what we need this time of year! I hope everyone else has a great time on the last weekend before Christmas. How is it that Christmas is already in 9 days!?

A mini Christmas home tour

2011-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have been dying to share photos of our house with everyone and what a better time than when its all dolled up for Christmas. Of course it is a work in progress, so expect many more photos and updates in the future!

Come on in!

When you first walk in you see my old church pew which was a Christmas present from Brad last year. She needs lots of TLC and a few coats of poly, I have great plans for this little entry way. So far, this is as good as it gets.

A shot of the dining room with a newly painted china cabinet. The china cabinet deserves a post all on its own. I restored it from it's late 70's glory to a new glossy black finish. The black interior makes my china look pretty too! Brad hates this piece because he thinks the doors are ugly, but I think they have great character. Would I have gone to the store and picked out this china cabinet on my own? No. But it was free, in the basement, and it only cost a quart of paint to fix up... Therefore, I love this china cabinet!

A quick shot of the open shelves adorned with Christmas attire. I am still learning how to arrange all of our every day things to look pretty. See the silver bowl on the left side of the top shelf? That was a Goodwill find that dates back to the 1800's. Pretty good $2 purchase if you ask me! You can also get a little sneak peak at our new tile backsplash. It really makes the kitchen look more finished.

A closer view of the china cabinet. I used Behr paint and primer in one (tinted to Martha Stewart Silhouette). I am in love with that paint. It made the process really easy

Our fireplace also has big plans in the future... When in the future you ask? I have no idea, one day. It is also missing a strip of trim around the bricks. Here is a view of the lime washed bricks. I now have strong opinions on lime washing. If we did it over again we would probably use a diluted white paint. I originally planned to do a tutorial on the limewash technique, because when I was researching the process I couldn't find much information on it. I originally applied the lime too thick. When you put it on, it is transparent, but dries completely opaque. (I would have known this, had there been information about it.) I had a THICK white mess of a fireplace. By the time we decided that sanding off the excess was the best option, I was pregnant and conveniently couldn't be breathing in anything crazy. Lucky Brad spent a few nights sanding everything off. What a good man. I love the way that it looks, but the lime still rubs off a bit, which is annoying.

Note to self: The mantle needs better decorations next year.

The other side of the living room. This table normally doesn't sit here, but we had to accomodate for the tree and Brad's Christmas village Dont even get me started on the Christmas Village.... The curtains are Ikea Lenda curtains. They were a little to plain for my liking so I added pinch pleats with pinch pleating tape and hooks. I also ironed on a black trim to the inside of each panel, which you can't even see from this photo.

You can see the curtains in this photo. The furniture by this window is in limbo and this window still needs matching blinds to go with the other one. We don't really know what to do with this area just yet. Keating would be quite sad to see this couch go. He loves perching himself on it to look outside. Making a slipcover for the ottoman is definitely on the agenda. It is a very kid friendly area, so it may stick around for awhile.

That is about all for now. I hope to have a few more projects wrapped up after Christmas to share. Here's to hoping!

20 Weeks and his NAME

2011-12-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

It would be an understatement to say that I haven't taken as many bump photos this pregnancy as with Keating. In fact, this is only the second one I have done. I'm sure this probably doesn't bother any of you, but it bothers me. I feel like I am already a slacker. Sadly there just aren't enough hours in the day. I am trying to keep all of the balls juggled in the air. So my pregnancy updates may be every 6 weeks or so.

How Far Along? 20 Weeks

Total Weight Gain? I think around 6 pounds

Maternity Clothes? Work pants and jeans are the only ones that have made the swap. I am going to get rich by inventing maternity pants that actually stay up. By the end of the day all of these pants sag in the butt. Doesn't matter the brand or style... they all do it. Maybe I need a butt?

Stretch Marks? Nope. I'm lotioning and oiling, oiling and lotioning... (The Sand Lot? Anyone?)

Gender? All boy. We went for another ultrasound on Friday to check all of the important stuff and he is still all boy.

Movement? All the time. He is quite active! It is starting to be visible from the outside now.

Food Cravings? Grapefruit and Sam Adams Winter Ale, separately, not together.

What I Miss? Energy. The past few weeks I have been worn out. I think that just goes along with this time of year. There is so much going on and I dont want to miss out on anything. Christmas just goes by too fast!

Best Moment of the Week? Deciding on name!

So for the name, we debated this for a long time. This name was a little harder to pick out than Keating's because I had known I wanted to name a son "Keating" since I was in the 7th grade. This little man's name took a little more work. It had to sound original like Keating, and it also couldn't be too vanilla, since Keating isn't exactly a common name.

We each had a few choices that we threw out, made a few lists, and names were added to our combined likes or vetoes. I admit that I checked the social security name database for every choice to make sure they weren't popular. As we went back and forth on choices there was always one name that we both consistently liked, and it was... Charles is his daddy's first name and I wish I had a great story about the name Archer, but I don't, we both just really liked it. He will be called Archer. I do think it is special that both of my sons will have part of their dad's name. So there you have it! 20 weeks of name debating and we finally came up with a winner.

Lemon Icebox Pie

2011-11-23T10:14:00.003-05:00

Image Via

I have received a few requests to share my lemon icebox pie recipe. This pie is wonderful and we have it at absolutely every holiday. I even have a cake recipe that is also Lemon Icebox.

I want to give a warning that the recipe uses two uncooked egg yolks. My family has been making this pie way longer than I have been alive, and the yolks have never been a problem. But, if the raw egg scares you, I believe Emeril's recipe does not call for egg. After searching different recipes, I may also add a block of cream cheese to mine to thicken it up a bit, because lets face it, cream cheese makes everything better!

Lemon Icebox Pie - (Recipe from my lovely mawmaw)

1 graham cracker crust (Chilled) - If you can find a Nilla wafer crust, they are even better

1/2 cup lemon juice (minute maid makes frozen lemon juice and it works perfectly)

1tsp grated lemon rind (I usually leave this out if I use the minute maid juice)

1 can (14 oz.) Condensed milk

2 eggs yolks

Combine lemon juice and rind. Gradually stir into condensed milk. Add yolks one at a time and stir until blended. Pour into chilled crust. Put in fridge to set. Top with Cool Whip topping.

Enjoy!

Superficial Things I'm Thankful For

2011-11-22T09:34:00.005-05:00

I know this is the time when you are supposed to be expressing your Thanks for everything you are blessed with. Of course I am thankful for my family and friends, for health and happiness. I would just like to give thanks for some of the little things too! So here is my list

Some people get excited about Thanksgiving turkey, dressing cranberry sauce or whatever... I am solely a pie fan. Lemon ice box pie to be exact. I look forward to this all year long, and usually I make a pie just for myself to ration out over the next week.

My crockpot. I never had much of an appreciation for a crockpot before I had Keating. The crockpot was something that I used to warm cocktail weenies once a year for Christmas parties. Now I dont know how I would ever live without it. This thing makes my life so much easier. I come home, and like magic, our dinner is ready. AMAZING. If you havent checked out www.crockpotgirls.com I highly HIGHLY recommend it. There are tons of recipes on there and I haven't tried a bad one yet. My favorites are the pulled buffalo chicken sandwiches, chicken and dumplings, and cheesy potato soup.

Lucerne tainly look marvelous. My favorite OPI shade ever! I will be wearing it for the next few months.

I will also be living in my new GAP maternity pants. They are so comfortable, and skinny maternity pants are hard to find. I looked everywhere! I hope I'm not judged for wearing them as much as I am planning!

Which brings me to my last and probably most superficial thankful thing. Breaking Dawn. Although I have not had the willpower to fight the crowds at the theater yet, I am SUPER excited to see this. I have read the book *cough cough* a few times, and it is by far my favorite of the series. Damon Salvatore is still my number one vampire, but Edward runs a close second.

Am I the only one that is superficially thankful? =)

This and That

2011-11-17T16:38:00.005-05:00

Where is this month going? It seems to be flying by soon enough Christmas will be upon us! Life has been "cray cray" as Keating would say, in our house. For two weeks he was sick with some sort of cold that turned into a sinus infection and ear ache. Every night we would put him to bed, and he would start coughing and hacking. As many of you know, you cant give a toddler any sort of good medicine. We tried all of the homeopathic remedies and still nothing worked. It was a miserable two weeks. Did I mention that Keating has inherited the world's weakest stomach, so when he was up coughing, he would throw up. There was not a day within that span that I was not stripping his sheets off at night. As many of you also know, changing the sheets in a crib is the biggest pain, like wrestling an alligator.

We did have a chance to have a few family photos taken by my coworker this year. They turned out great despite Keating feeling under the weather. He isn't smiling in many of them because I bribed him with sweet tarts. I probably should have waited to give them to him until we were done shooting. Oh well, live and learn. At least he was actually sitting still!

We are really looking forward to Thanksgiving in our house. My food responsibilities include homemade mac and cheese and peanut butter pie. I shared the Mac and Cheese recipe a few years back here. If you never tried it... I highly recommend high tailing it to the store to get the ingredients. Just dont think about the calories... also be prepared for your family to request it EVERY year... it's that good folks. What is going to be on your Thanksgiving table??

We have also been scratching a few items off of our list of to do's around the house. I have painted bookshelves for Keating's room that need to be hung... then his room is complete and I can share! I ordered photos to frame for our bare hallway, we finally have shades in our master bathroom, my china cabinet is half way painted, and should be complete this weekend, and I am in the process of sprucing up our Ikea curtains in the living room. If I am feeling extra ambitious I may even redo the hall bath vanity. Not sure if this is considered nesting or just wanting our house to be finished by our annual Christmas party.

Speaking of Christmas party... this is the dress I will be sporting from Asos maternity. I heard the site mentioned a few times on other blogs and those girls were right. The dress fits perfect and leaves just enough growing room in the mid section. I definitely plan to order from there again!

Moving on, is anyone else already having Vampire Diary withdrawls?? January seems like a lifetime away! Good thing I will be occupied with fun festivities!

Check it out!

2011-11-14T16:28:00.004-05:00

Thank you to Centsational Girl and Best of The Blogosphere for featuring my kitchen in this weeks edition! I am so excited to be featured on one of my favorite blogs! To see it and the other BOTB selections go here.

11 things on 11.11.11.

2011-11-11T14:39:00.004-05:00

1. I am REALLY loving fall this year. I feel like it is more beautiful than any fall I can remember. The leaves are prettier, the weather is better. All around, it is great!

2. As much as I am loving fall, I am ready for Christmas time. I think I may start getting out a few decorations this weekend.

3. Thoughts of Christmas have me excited for parties, seeing plays, Christmas lights, wrapping gifts, Christmas movies, Christmas Carols, good food, Christmas tour of homes, Christmas eve church service, and starting new traditions in our new home.

4. I think we may be close to settling on a name for #2. I will share when it is decided.

5. I am nearing the end of week 16. This pregnancy is going by so much faster. 163 days to go and we will have two little boys in the house! Thats a crazy thought! So much to do, and so little time!

6. This week I ordered an adorable Christmas party dress from Asos Maternity for all of the events we have coming up in the next month. I REALLY hope it fits! I've never shopped there before, but all of the clothes are super cute. I recommend checking them out.

7. I am really over this work week. People never cease to amaze me, sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it is really bad.

8. I'm ready for maternity clothes to start fitting correctly and not falling down. A slouchy butt in jeans is not a cute look.

9. I cannot pick a Christmas card, there are just way too many choices!

10. Our family pictures turned out great, I will share them next week. I plan on having a few printed for our hallway. It is so much fun to finally decorate a house!

11. There is 1 hour 55 minutes until I officially start my weekend! Cheers!

Kitchen Sources

2011-11-10T11:07:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to share the sources and info for our kitchen renovation in case anyone is interested.

The knobs and pulls came from this ebay store

The lantern is from CSN lighting

Cabinet paint color is Sherwin Williams Iron Ore

Island paint color is Sherwin Williams Greek Villa

Wall color is Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

The shelves were built by Brad and a friend

and I think that is all... Thanks for all of the comments on the post! I can't wait to show more progress along the way!

Kitchen Before and After!!!

2011-11-08T18:40:00.005-05:00

I am excited to share with everyone the before and after photos of our kitchen. This has been a LONG process, but we have come so far! Please keep in mind that it is still a work in progress, but I just couldn't wait to share!! Here is the before, look at all of that gorgeous maroon.

And drumroll please

The BEAUTIFUL after! Please excuse the mess, we are still trying to figure out where things go. As I am sure everyone knows, things that don't have a home often end up in the kitchen.

As for the work that was done... here it goes. We knocked out two openings in the former left hand wall to help with the flow, took out the upper cabinets on the right hand side, took out the old dark slate backsplash, restained the floors, painted the cabinetry gray and the island cream, had custom shelves made, took out the old speckled ceiling and replaced it with a smooth one, added can lights and light fixture, new faucets, new cabinet pulls and handles, new crown molding, new larger window over the sink.

I am really so happy with how everything turned out. Down the road there are a few things on our agenda such as new cabinet doors since we painted the existing ones, a new backsplash, and I would like to replace the new lantern with one that is a little larger. I love it, but it turned out a little smaller than I had invisioned. We are also adding beadboard to the front of the island and I would like to put in nice corbels under the tiny little bar. I am sure you can spot a few areas that need to be painted, such as the trim on the island and the white shoe mold around the cabinets... I will hopefully get around to that!

So far I love having the open shelves. It is nice having everything so accessible. It also keeps me accountable from being a pack rat! See those lemons in the photo below... yep they came from my little lemon tree!!

The top shelf is still a little bare, and they still need a little sprucing up.

A shot of the new hardware. I got all of it off of ebay and it cost around 36 dollars to change out the whole kitchen. You will also notice the gorgeous artwork in the background... I have a little artist on my hands.

A view looking back at the front of the house. The cork canvas is a photo I took. I saved the champagne corks from our engagement night, wedding toast, and honeymoon and photographed them. Then had them put on a canvas.

A close up of the shelves, and my dishes that I oh so missed while they were in storage for an entire year!

A view of our beautiful new faucet. I would like to take credit for this, but it was all Brad. He had to have it. I think he did a great job picking it out! Please ignore the gaping hole between the countertop and the wall, that will be fixed with a new backsplash.

After many stressful months of house renovations, I am so happy to be closer to finished. If anyone wants to know sources for anything, just leave them in the comments. Thanks for checking in on our progress, hopefully I will have a new room to show soon!

It's a.........

2011-11-07T14:16:00.004-05:00

BOY!!!!

I had a 15 week appointment scheduled on Friday. As I was leaving my Dr. asked if I wanted to try and see what I was having. Of course I jumped at the chance to find out a few weeks early! I called Brad and he was okay with me finding out without him, as long as I called as soon as I knew. It took the ultrasound tech about 3 seconds before she found the goods, and told me that HE is all boy. So to the majority that voted girl in the poll, myself included... we were all quite wrong!

We are very excited to be having another boy and giving Keating a little brother. Lord help me with the trouble two boys will probably get in to! We taught Keating how to say "brother" and it is the cutest thing you have ever heard, but we may be a little biased!

I didn't tell anyone else that I was finding out so early, so Saturday night when we went to watch the LSU game at my parents, I brought over a dozen gender revealing cupcakes. It was hilarious to see everyone nearly trample each other to get to the cupcakes and find out what was inside!

Now to start the great name debate and give this little man a suitable name!

TGIF and a Poll

2011-11-04T12:17:00.003-04:00

Thank you all for the compliments and suggestions in the comments of my recent post. Y'all are all too sweet. One comment intriqued me about non-alcoholic wine. I am going to do a little research on this topic and report back. Is there more that one brand? With this being the time of year for festive parties, does anyone have a mocktail recipe they would like to share? I am willing to test them out! Wow, I sound like such a lush. I promise I am not! I guess when you start craving something you just cant get it out of your head!

I posted a little gender poll on the right to see what everyone thinks baby #2 is. Let me know your thoughts! Pink or Blue!?

This weekend cant come soon enough. Poor Keating has been sick all week. 102 Fever, runny nose, and throwing up. It just hit me last night that it may be the flu, and stupid me didn't get my flu shot until today. I am crossing my fingers it doesn't spread through the house, this time of year is too great to be at home sick.

On tap for the weekend is a bit of house work, maybe painting a china cabinet, a lot of relaxing, and temporarily trading our UGA allegiance to cheer on LSU. I can assure you, that you wont spot this girl wearing purple and gold... that is one trade that I just cannot make. Sorry to my Louisiana family if you're reading, but a girl's gotta have principles! I think I might also start finding my Christmas decorations. I'm not putting them out yet, just getting my hands on them so I can find it all in the next few weeks. Its right around the corner and I can hardly wait!

14 weeks and bribing toddlers

2011-11-03T10:31:00.004-04:00

Happy belated Halloween from our house to yours! This post has been compiling since last Saturday. It has just taken me that long to get the photos onto my computer. I was leaving to do an infant photo shoot and this little guy was waiting for me by the door. I don't know what it was about seeing Keating sitting on my old weathered church pew that did it for me. The anxiousness that surrounded getting into the house and finishing it all subsided. We were finally home. Whether or not our house is "complete" does not matter, it is the people and the memories that fill the house. So glad I had my camera handy to capture this, because it just warms my heart to look at it... even if it is a bit blurry.

Keating was a puppy for Halloween. I mentioned getting crafty and making a costume for him and Lola, but there simply weren't enough hours in the week. Maybe next year... The costume was a hand me down from my niece (Gotta love hand me downs). Originally he wouldn't wear the ears, but with enough distraction we got a few photos.

Tickling also helps... =)

As does bribery. This was especially useful for our family photo shoot on Tuesday!

Keating really enjoyed trick or treating this year. He especially liked the houses where they let him pick his own candy from the bowl. Never failed, when given the choice, he always chose KitKat. Not sure why, considering he has never had one! Must have been the wrapper!

Looking a little scary in this pic, but here is a 14 week photo of the bump last week. Really nothing to see as of yet, which is frustrating because I am in between clothes. My regular pants still fit with the help of a hair tie, but they tend to fall down. Maternity pants fall down because there is no belly to hold them up. Add to that, the up and down fall temperatures we have been having and I have about 3 outfits that currently work. The joys of pregnancy!

I dont have the little weekly survey handy, so I will just give some details.

Total weight gain: no idea, I don't own a scale.

Maternity clothes: some, mostly just for work pants, since dress pants no longer fit. Leggings are also my friend

Gender: We will find out later this month. CANT WAIT! I should do a poll!

Cravings: I have been loving salt and vinegar chips, rainbow sherbert, and starchy things such as potatoes and grits.

Stretch marks: None yet, been lubing up with the Mama Mio again!

Sleep: It was just fine until Keating got sick this week... still the lack of sleep has to do with baby #1 not baby #2!

Movement: Yes! I have been feeling consistent little nudges since about 12 weeks. I was unsure since it seemed so much earlier than last time. I know now that they most definitely were since the spot has stayed the same.

What I miss: I'm going to sound like a huge alkie for saying this, but I really miss red wine, also I would kill for a Sam Adams Octoberfest these days! I just smell other people's drinks and live vicariously through them. Weird?

Too Early for Christmas Cards?

2011-11-01T11:54:00.005-04:00

It is November 1st and I am already thinking about Christmas and all that it entails. Today I have Christmas cards on my mind. A photographer friend of mine is going to be taking family photos of us this afternoon, and I can't wait to pick out the perfect card to send to all of our family and friends!

Last year I ordered my cards through Shutterfly and I was THRILLED with the result. They had an endless amount of Christmas cards to choose from and the quality was great. Here is a peek at last year's card. They were a huge hit, my mom still has it on her fridge! We got so many compliments on it! It is amazing how fast this little guy has changed in the last year!

We are big Shutterfly fans in our house. Last Christmas Brad made me the most perfect photo calendar and we gave my parents photo albums with images from the previous year. I recommend checking out the photo gifts that Shutterfly has to offer. The possibilities are endless and anyone that receives them is sure to adore them! They really do make a great and thoughtful gift.

Are you a blogger? Want a chance to win 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here: http://goo.gl/DDw7Q

Home Exterior: Before and Almost After

2011-10-25T10:17:00.003-04:00

I realize that I haven't given much of a house update in a while. I wanted to wait until it was "finished" to share everything... but then I realized, it will never be FINISHED. A house is always a work in progress, so I am going to share our progress.

You may remember way back when we started this whole process... our green house with clashing brick and gigantic overgrown bushes? There is really nothing wrong with this shade of green, it just wasn't what we had in mind. Here we are nearly 7 months later with a freshly painted house. We used all Porter Paints color matched to Sherwin Williams colors. We got 40% off at Porter, and so far we are quite pleased. The main color is Sherwin Williams Shoji White SW7042 and the trim is Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray SW 7044. We decided to paint the brick because 1. I LOVE painted brick, but 2. it also made it a more modern ranch, not a 1967 ranch. The painters took it upon themselves to paint the board and batten accent on the porch roof. Initially I wasn't so sure about it, but it has grown on me.

The shutters havent been painted yet, but they will be Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze. I think the darker color will really help to ground everything.

Since these photos were taken there have already been other changes. The bushes to the right side of the house have been ripped out. The yard has been graded and will be reseeded. The large pine tree to the left of the photo above is also going to be taken out. Its roots have destroyed the yard and the driveway so all of that is on the agenda as well.

The front door still needs to be stained and sealed. I better get on that! I am also trying to figure out what to plant in the front yard and where to put it. It is really hard starting with such a blank slate. We will also be planting some sort of shrubs or plants in front of the steps to hide that unfinished edge.

Keating has been loving the exterior house work. There have been dump trucks and tractors galore! That kid could not be any happier than with a pile of dirt.

Well that is all for the progress today! Stay tuned for more!

This and That

2011-10-20T11:22:00.004-04:00

Is it really already Thursday? I have been meaning to post photos of our trip to the pumpkin patch last weekend, but we still haven't managed to get our computer hooked up in the house yet. Hopefully by Monday! We are starting to feel settled in, and the house is becoming home. The exterior was finally painted this week, and I can't wait to share photos of that as well! It turned out just as I had hoped! The inside is coming along quite well too. The boxes have dwindled and we have been finding spots for those random odds and ends that don't really have a spot of their own.

This week has surprisingly flown by, it has also brought on much cooler temperatures. With cooler weather comes my desire to bundle up in sweaters, leggings and boots. I am pretty set in the boot department, but where are your favorite places to buy sweaters and leggings. I need to update my legging stash and I need extra long sweaters to get me, and my growing belly, through the winter. Any suggestions??

This weekend is going to be quite a busy one. Saturday, my high school girlfriends and I are throwing a baby shower for our friend Janae. She is due this February with a baby boy! Babies, babies, everywhere there are babies! We are also bringing our little ones (those that have kids) to play together. I am so glad that we all stayed such great friends! Should be a fun afternoon!

On Sunday, my sister and friend Michelle, and I are heading down to the Country Living fair. I will try not to blow our months grocery budget on adorable things that I really dont need. If you are in the Atlanta area, I highly recommend it. We went last year and came away with a lot of great finds. Maybe too many!

Also on the agenda is making and finishing Keating and Lola's Halloween costumes. Keating was going to be a precious puppy dog, but he wont wear the head piece... making him a dog without ears. I have come up with a Plan B, but it is going to take a lot of work! He and lola are going as a pair... I hope to successfully finish it before Halloween and that it turns out as cute as it is in my head!! Wish me luck! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!

My Wedding 3 Years Ago Today

2011-10-17T16:15:00.004-04:00

I really can't believe that Brad and I have been married 3 years! It seems like it was just yesterday and also a lifetime ago. It is funny how much things change in that amount of time. What hasn't changed is how I still feel about the day. Looking through these photos have really brought back great memories. Our wedding was everything I dreamed it would be and I wouldn't change a thing about it. Our parent's and grandparent's wedding photos

handmade branches that I acquired countless hotglue burns from creating

Love my red shoes, but they were super uncomfortable and sinking into the grass. I changed to my cowboy boots right after the ceremony.

I do!

Everything was very autumnal without being fall festival hokey.

My sweet niece, she loved my veil

He had to put his hat on right after the ceremony... he feels naked without it. Good thing I am an easy going wife!

First dance

Daddy daughter dance. We danced to Stevie Wonder "You are the sunshine of my life"

The interior of the tent at night... did I mention that we built this wedding from the ground up?? It was a LOT of work but SO worth the outcome.

My old high school friends. Somehow we started the tradition of putting the bride in an old school cheerleading thigh stand. It was obviously my turn! haha!

Cutting the cake

Our getaway.

I hope you enjoyed my little anniversary recap!

Big THANK YOU!

2011-10-14T08:44:00.003-04:00

For those that aren't Atlantans, we have a local radio morning show called The Bert Show. This year they are taking on a HUGE project that needs help from absolutely EVERYONE! Their goal is to put over 400,000 thank you letters into the hands of EVERY military person serving over seas on Thanksgiving Day. Thats right, EVERY PERSON. If you are in Atlanta, they make it super easy, and you can drop your letters off at any Taco Mac location. If you would like to participate, check their site for details on how to get your letter in.

I think we tend to forget the daily sacrifices that are troops are making for us. This is just one tiny thing that we can do for them. Just say THANK YOU! Get your family and friends to write letters, let your kids color pictures. Spread the word!

The Bert Show's Big Thank You!

Answers to a few baby Questions

2011-10-13T14:29:00.002-04:00

To answer some of the questions I have received from friends and family

How far along are you? 12.5 Weeks. I was a little anxious to tell everyone so I was at the end of my 11th week when I spilled the beans.

Was this planned? Well... not exactly planned by us, but God planned it =)

Are we excited? OF COURSE we are excited. We are over joyed and blessed with such a little miracle. There are few great surprises in life, and this was truly one of them, what a great gift! If I am honest though, it was a little bitter sweet for me to break the news to a few people in my life who have been desperately trying to conceive. I felt like I was rubbing salt in a wound. I am just hoping their time comes VERY soon!

How did you find out? I knew that I was late, and I bought a drugstore test. When I took it a faint line appeared but it was more gray than blue. Brad wasn't home for a second opinion so I kind of freaked out and took pictures and sent them to my friend. She said that she couldn't see anything, but that I knew better... if there was a line that I was pregnant. Still being in denial, I researched false positives on blue dye tests. Brad was pretty convinced I was just crazy and said I wasn't pregnant. The next morning I took another test and there was a much darker blue line. The digital test confirmed it.

Do you think its a boy or a girl? From the beginning I have said girl based on a feeling. All of our friends and family think pink too. Randomly last May I bought a precious pink smocked dress for no reason at all, with no baby to wear it. I am wondering if this is what my subconcious reasoning was? That little dress could fit a baby girl next spring...The Chinese gender chart says girl and the dangling ring over the belly trick says girl as well. But, the logical part of me thinks boy. I feel the same as I did with Keating. No sickness, slow to start showing same cravings. I guess in a few weeks we will see!

When are you due? April 23, 2012. My sister is hoping it happens on her birthday which is April 25, but since Keating came early they say this one probably will too.

Do you have any names picked out? We have a few girl names that we like but nothing set in stone, we don't agree on any boy names yet.

How are you feeling? Feeling great, no nausea. Just some food adversions and a little exhaustion. I took a nap on my lunch break the other day!

Any cravings? Lemons, bloody mary (virgin of course), olives, chocolate milk, and sushi which I cant have.

What does Keating think about it? Well, obviously he doesn't understand, but I did teach him to point to my belly and say baby. Its pretty cute!

I've been DYING to tell y'all!

2011-10-06T09:39:00.003-04:00

Baby #2 will be making his or her appearance in April 2012!

A Messy House

2011-10-04T09:21:00.003-04:00

Welcome to our disastrous home! Once again, I appologize for the iphone photos. When I got to the house I only had my 50mm lense which does not show enough of the space.

We have been fixing up a few final necessities before we actually stay there, such as the washer and dryer hook ups and hot water. Those things are now out of the way and we can live there any time... It just depends on how bad I am dependant on having cable, That little luxury could still be a few weeks out. Sadly for me, cable is a necessity.

So far, much of the stuff has been dumped into the living room and dining area until we find a space for it. Most of it is kitchen items do not have a home yet. A lot of the cabinets are lacking shelves inside. We still have to make new shelves for them and our open shelves aren't finished yet. That leaves a lot of homeless dishes left in storage bins. At least we have a table to eat among the chaos! Side note:: I am wishing that I had picked a much bigger lantern for over the kitchen table. I think I may try to paint it a little darker and see if I start to like it more. If not, I may need to find it a new home. Brad will be thrilled to hear me say that!

The living room is the most complete so far. You can see the limewash treatment that we did on the fireplace. I say "we" because the project that I started, Brad had to finish. I will go into more depth later, but lets just say that a lime wash is not as transparent as it appears when it is going on. We ended up with a completely white fireplace. Brad went back and sanded each brick, which was a HUGE mess and pain (for him). We do love the way it finally turned out. We also painted the back doors to match the dark gray accents in the rest of the house. The french doors used to have cheap plastic window panes that didn't let a lot of light through, so Brad cut them out. They aren't perfect, but they will do until we can get new doors.

It is hard to tell from the grainy cell phone photo but the couches are a gray linen material. I LOVE them. I think it really brings together my gray obsession. I will add more colorful throw pillows, those are the ones that came with the couch. Although, I do love the quatrefoil patterned ones. The rug is our old rug from our previous home. I think it is too small for the space and I would eventually like something a little more graphic. It works for now. And for some reason our coffee table is on its side? I saved the coffee table out of my sister in laws garage. 1 tube of wood filler and 16 labor intensive coats of paint later, she's a beauty. I probably should have just bought a new table after all of the work involved!

Keating's room is coming together great. This is the only view I have for now, I LOVE the chalkboard wall. In the next few days I should have the curtains hung. I hope they are as great as I invision them! I tried to make his room transistional for a big boy room. He is getting close to being in a real bed. I also wanted it to be a fun place for him to play, not just sleep.

Finally a peek at our unfinshed room. We need a little touch up painting, handles for our barn doors and I need to put away all of the junk. I'll get around to it eventually! I am super excited that we are finally using the bedding that we registered for nearly 3 years ago when we got married. Good thing I picked a classic Pottery Barn duvet instead of something trendy at the time!

That is all that I have for today. Hopefully this week/ weekend will bring more organizing, maybe a little decorating, and cable. A girl can dream right?!

1/2 way moved in. Sneak peak!

2011-09-25T18:04:00.006-04:00

Is anyone still here? I sure hope so! I'm sorry for my absence, but I am happy to report that we are half way moved in to our house! It has been a very slow move and due to busy work schedules and extra projects to complete around the house, we have been forced to move in a little bit at a time. I am going nuts having my belongings scattered all over God's green earth. Hopefully within the next week or so we will be completely settled in. I haven't had a chance to take any new photos, but here is a little sneak peak at our bedroom barn doors. I LOVE the way they turned out! The board supporting them still needs to be painted to match, another thing on our "to do list."

I can't wait to share more photos with everyone. So far the room I am most excited about is Keating's room. It is so much fun and he finally has a space of his own. I painted a chalkboard wall and I am obsessed with his curtains. If you have been reading long enough, you can probably guess what pattern they are... houndstooth of course! =) He really likes coloring on his chalkboard wall, and the carpet and baseboards and everything else! Needless to say, he can only play with chalk with supervision.

As far as decorating goes, I can't wait to get started but there is still so much stuff and I am just not sure where to put it all! We will be having a garage sale in our near future. I'm also having a lot more trouble with the living room than I expected. There is so much open space I am a little overwhelmed with what to do with it! I will be open to suggestions! This weekend I made a trip to Ikea for white curtain panels. They are such a great bargain. I am trying to decide how to dress them up a little and add some color. Here are a few ideas I have been debating.

I love the ribbon trim on these curtains and I think it would be quite simple to add. Its just enough color, and if I ever got tired of it I could always replace it with something else.

I also like the horizontal stripes added to these panels.

The chevrons on these curtains are fun, but they would be a lot more labor intensive.

I love the quatrefoil pattern on these, but not sure if I have the patience to stencil them. I tried stenciling curtains for Keating's room and almost completed one panel and messed up the pattern. Talk about frustrating! I also have four matching panels to do, so it needs to be snappy. Anyone have any ideas? I think I am leading towards the ribbon trim. Thoughts?

The day I've waited for all summer...

2011-09-15T16:45:00.006-04:00

Today is the day we have been waiting for all summer long... or maybe just the day I have been waiting for. Tonight is the Season 3 premiere of The Vampire Diaries. Is anyone else as excited about this as I am!? I really hope Elena and Damon love each other this season! I am team Damon all the way.

Sorry for my lack of posting lately. We have been super busy finishing up stuff at the house and moving in! Yes you heard me correctly, I just said MOVING IN! Its still a huge mess and we probably wont be resting our heads there until this weekend, but it is a BIG step! I will post photos when it is somewhat presentable, I can't wait to share. We are so excited with how it has turned out!

Fall is Here!

2011-09-08T14:47:00.004-04:00

Well, maybe not officially... but this week it has felt like fall has arrived. After a rainy weekend at the beach, all of Tropical Storm Lee followed us home to Georgia and brought with it cool weather. I just hope that it stays this nice! I am already seeing nights by the fire and bowls of chili in hand. S'more roasting and falling leaves. Tall boots and sweater weather... okay you get the point.

Fall really is my favorite time of year, if you cant tell... The only bad thing about it, is that it never lasts long enough!

I am pretty sure that every year, I go into great detail about how much I ADORE fall decorations. How pretty is this front porch? White pumpkins and mums are perfect. Maybe if the outside of our house is painted in time, I could do something like this on the porch.

And I know that I have declared my love for candy corn. It seems that you either love it or hate it!? I, for one, LOVE it. I also love it here used as a vase filler, I never would have thought of that. This also reminds me that I need to try to find my first bag of the season. I'm honestly surprised that my teeth haven't rotted out like my mom told me they would if I ate too much candy... I just got a clean dental bill of health from the dentist so I am good to go until next year!

These little pumpkin treats are fun, kind of like a mini pinata. They would make a cute party decoration and they're also a party favor. Too bad I dont have the willpower to make them. Maybe one day, when I am super mom!

Another one of my favorite things about fall is our state fair. If you have not been to the North Georgia State Fair, then you really must go. There are great concerts, fun rides, enough people watching to bulge your eyes out, and most of all fried food of every variety. My favorite is a corn dog and rootbeer float. What is your favorite fair delicacy? (I am using the term delicacy very loosely)

I haven't given much thought yet to what Keating will be for Halloween this year. Last year he was this precious PB Kids lion. I am selling the costume if you want it! Size 6-12 months, basically new, was only worn about 30 minutes. It is just as cute and fluffy as it looks in the photo. Please email if you are interested. $30 includes shipping

I hope everyone isn't getting flooded with all of the rain that many have seen lately. I also hope that those in Texas that need the rain get some soon!

Happy September Y'all!

Recovery, Rest and Relaxation

2011-08-31T14:34:00.001-04:00

It is Wednesday and I am just feeling like myself again after an exhausting weekend. We spent Saturday and Sunday doing a ton of work at our house. {Work that we shouldn't be doing... but I wont even go in to that} I trimmed in all of the walls, painted the trim, repainted our columns in the kitchen and living room, painted a wall in Keating's room, mopped the floors and the list goes on.

It was a ton of work and I wasn't the only one that thought so. As I was painting Keating wanted a "nack." I gave him a little bag of cheese-its and he sat down in the corner to have a picnic. When I looked back at him, he was passed out. In case you are wondering, he does not always wear this outfit... they are his play clothes, it just seems that most photos are taken while he is wearing play clothes!

Monday morning I felt like I was hit by a bus. You know it is bad, when your coworkers tell you that you look rough as you walk in the office! I even thought about going somewhere to take a nap on my lunch break. Of course I didn't but I really contemplated for a while. So it is Wednesday and I am somewhat recovered.

This week is a short work week for me because our family, minus Brad {he has to work} is heading to the beach for an extended weekend. To say that I am looking forward to this trip would be an understatement. After lots of work, and stressing over our housing situation I am ready to unplug for a weekend. I am also secretly... or not so secretly hoping that I come home to a finished house.

I think Keating will really enjoy the beach this year. He is all about being outside and digging in the dirt... doing boy things. An atmosphere where he is encouraged to make a mess in the sand and be center of attention for the entire family will be pure heaven for him. Of course we will be cheering on the bulldogs Saturday and hoping for a winning season!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day weekend! Hallelujah Fall is coming!!!

6 places, 5 foods, 4 books, 3 films

2011-08-29T12:15:00.003-04:00

I have been tied up doing a lot of things at the house and completely forgot that I was supposed to be posting these! I know everyone has just been waiting on pins and needles for me to finish up! Only kidding!

6 Places...

1. Italy. I went on a trip with my Great Aunt and we travelled all through Italy. It was the trip of a lifetime. We spent 14 days in Rome, Florence, Venice, Tuscany, Sorrento, Pompei and a lot of other places. I got to dip my feet in the mediterranean, I saw amazing works of art such as the Sistine Chapel, I ate the most incredible pesto on the coast of Cinque Terre, and got a locals perspective of Rome from my aunt's Roman friends. It was unforgettable.

2. Louisiana. We moved from La. when I was three, but most of my family still lives there. I wish it wasn’t so far away, because we have such a great time when we are there. It is so nice to spend time with everyone, and it would be nice if Keating got to see his extended family more often.

3. The Blue Ridge Mountains. There is just something nice about being able to escape to the mountains for a day or even a weekend. It is relaxing and life moves at a different pace there. As a kid, we would take my Nannie to see the leaves change in the fall. In my adult years, a group of friends would rent a cabin or go tubing down the river. At Christmas we go to Brad’s family’s church camp for “Carroll Christmas” I have a lot of fond memories from The Blue Ridge Mountains.

4. Home... where ever that may be. As long as I am with my family, I am home.

5. The Beach - It doesn't matter what beach or what body of water, as long as there is sand and surf I am a happy girl!

6. Boston- We went there for a baby moon before Keating got here and it was an amazing city. So full of history and incredible seafood. I would love to go back one day when I am not pregnant to partake in a little Sam Adams sipping.

5 foods...

1. Homemade Mac and cheese.

2. Chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven. I like them gooey.

3. Red Wine

4. Sushi

5. Homemade Pizza

4 Books...

1. Gone With the Wind- One of the best books I have ever read

2. Harry Potter – Yes there are really 7 books but they all go together.

3. Redeeming Love – I couldn’t put this book down when I read it. It is one book that I highly recommend.

4. Heaven is For Real – I read this book recently and although it was short, the story within it is quite amazing. I had goose bumps the entire time I read it.

3 Films...

1. The Sweetest Thing – This movie illustrates the relationship between my girlfriends and me to a T. It is also hilarious.

2. Harry Potter – Once again, I can’t get away from Harry Potter. I think that the movies do a great job of portraying the books (Although they do leave quite a bit out) and I am not ready to let go of the fact that the series is over. I find myself watching it every time there is a HP marathon on TV.

3. Anchorman The legend of Ron Burgundy – Every time I watch this I cry laughing. “Baxter you know I don’t speak Spanish!”

7 Wants

2011-08-26T13:19:00.002-04:00

7 Wants…

1. For my house to be finished.

2. Frye boots. I have wanted a pair for years, and I think they would be a wise investment. =)

3. A winning Georgia football season

4. An extended vacation to Ireland or Italy

5. For each day to have at least 48 hours in it, so that I can accomplish everything that I need to do.

6. To wake up every morning and have perfect hair. I have been rocking the pony tail quite frequently lately.

7. To one day be able to work from home

8 Fears

2011-08-25T08:28:00.001-04:00

8 Fears… In no particular order

1. Roaches... is there a nastier creature in all the world!?

2. Losing a loved one

3. Walking in the dark and something touching me. I feel like nasty creatures live in the dark.

4. Snakes… the only good use for a snake is for a pair of shoes or a bag.

5. Cancer.

6. Centipedes. I am creeped out by things with more than 8 legs. Weirdly enough, spiders don’t bother me.

7. Looking out the window at night and someone is watching me but I can’t see them. I think this comes from any classic scary movie.

8. Developing Alzheimer’s. I already have trouble remembering things and I hope this is not something I have to deal with when I am older. It is an awful disease.

9 Loves

2011-08-24T06:53:00.004-04:00

1. Brad, Keating, Lola

2. Christmas

3. Fall

4. Cowboy boots

5. Rootbeer floats

6. Georgia Football

7. The beach

8. Photography

9. Chapstick

10 Confessions

2011-08-23T10:25:00.003-04:00

If you haven't noticed, I have been a little lacking on the blogging material lately. I am joining up with Leggings are not pants for the 10day You Challenge. Thinking up answers for these simple categories is actually pretty hard.

10 secrets …

1. I recently took a personality quiz at work and apparently I am overly critical. I should probably work on that.

2. I love my job, but I hate the fact that I feel like I am not raising my son. I miss being home with him in the mornings and going for walks.

3. When I was a teenager, I would sometimes wear two bras because I had no boobs. This was before the day of “add two cup size” bras. I should have invented that.

4. I think that if you are going to live in America, that you should speak English. Call me closed minded, but if I moved to another country I would learn their language.

5. I am secretly jealous that my sister dresses better than I do. This may or may not be a secret since I try to copy her sometimes.

6. I hate raw tomatoes. I will eat them in ketchup, spaghetti, soup, salsa… but not raw.

7. Sometimes when I am driving by myself, I like to sing at the top of my lungs. My favorite song to sing is “I had the time of my life” It is so uplifting and reminds me that “Nobody puts Baby in the corner!”

8. When I was young, my sister and I would have campouts every night of summer vacation. “Camping out” consisted of sleeping on the floor of our living room in sleeping bags and watching our VHS recordings of Saved by the Bell and Troop Beverly Hills.

9. I feel guilty when we go out after work or on weekends. I know that having time as a married couple is important, but I have trouble balancing mom, wife and work.

10. We just traded in my gas guzzling Tahoe, and my only car requirement to Brad was that I wanted heated seats. I have been using said heated seats every morning since I got my car… in August.

The long road of renovating.

2011-08-21T13:06:00.003-04:00

I am still here. Life has been busy, yet slow all at the same time. If that makes any sense. We are all counting the days until fall. With fall comes Georgia Football, changing leaves, sweaters, chili, the state fair, bonfires... I could go on and on... Instead, this is what we have been up to, trying to keep cool any way we can.
We are nearing the end of our home renovation and I am FINALLY seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I hope. After a lot of headaches, our wood floors have been refinished. I think it was definitely worth the wait because they turned out beautifully. You can see in the background that I started doing the lime wash on our fireplace. It is not exactly what I had in mind, so it is going to be a work in progress until I get it right. When the lime is applied it goes on transparent, and dries completely opaque. It was very deceiving how the end result was going to look. I put on way more than I needed/ wanted... so now I get to backpedal to get rid of some of it. The joys of trial and error.
Here is a view looking in from the hall. The glossy new floors make everything look so much bigger! I am getting a little antsy to get this place finished and finally make it our home. I cant wait to decorate and get our things in there so it finally feels like "ours."

I have also been trying to decide on colors for the outside of the house. I am wanting a cream base with a taupe trim and bronze shutters. Below are my "cream" colors. If you haven't yet noticed, I have a problem making simple decisions...

The dark shade is the shutter color and the two taupe shades (below the bronze and to the right) are the trim that I am deciding between. I have all of the color names somewhere, but I couldn't tell you what/where they are currently.

That's about all I have right now. I am being told that we should be in within the next two weeks. I've heard that before. All that is lacking on the inside is another coat of paint on the walls and doors and a few finishing touches. Here's to hoping that I have a house before labor day!

Prayers for Caden

2011-08-09T12:04:00.005-04:00

If you have ever taken a gander over at my favorite blogs sidebar, you will have seen The Stanley Clan. I have known both Becca and Adam since high school and I love keeping up with their family and amazing ministry. They have moved their family to live among those they minister and mentor in inner city Atlanta. This family is a beacon of light in a dark place, where the children don't have Godly influence in their lives. Becca has an honest way of writing that describes their life and all of their experiences "in the hood" as she lovingly refers to it. Becca and Adam are truly two people, that when God says "Jump!" they say "HOW HIGH!?" They truly walk by faith and encourage everyone around them.

Their family is currently needing your prayers. Last week their newborn son Caden came into the world with a severe heart defect. I wont even attempt to explain it, because it is way past my realm of understanding. Caden came out of open heart surgery yesterday afternoon and the next few days are critical in his healing process. I urge you to pay their blog a visit. Read their story, and most importantly say a prayer for baby Caden.

TheStanleyClan

Beating the Heat

2011-08-07T15:41:00.003-04:00

We have had a scorching summer. Every year I am surprised at how hot it is... it's like you forget over the course of a really cold winter what summers in the South are like. When I step outside into the thick humid air, I think "I don't remember it being this hot last year!" Well friends, this winter when I am freezing my tail off and I start complaining, please remind me to be thankful!

Having a child that LOVES being outside, makes these hot months difficult. I have had to find ways to let Keating have his fun, without roasting. His new favorite activity is playing in this old wash tub. He has a kiddie pool, but that isn't as fun to him as an old bucket. Its always the unconventional "toys" he likes... Not the ones that we actually pay money for. Lola is a fan too.

I think we may skip on the Christmas presents this year and just give him a bunch of old junk from the garage since he seems to enjoy it more! =)

This summer Blue has also enjoyed his first ice cream cone. He was pretty impressed, although he tried eating it from the wrong end. That was messy, but he didn't seem to mind.
Every day when I come home from work, his first words to me are "golf cot." No big hug, a kiss, or even "Mama" just "Golf Cot". I see where his priorities lie. We drive the golf cot to the back of the neighborhood where it borders a horse farm.

I really have to watch him because he is not afraid of the horses one bit. Their size doesn't intimate him at all. He is a little confused between a horse and a cow. When seeing a horse he says "moo." I suppose we will have to work on that. And no, he isn't wearing pants. It has been so hot that my mom will let him play with just a shirt on. When I come home to my little redneck baby, and he has the urge to hop on the "golf cot" there is no time to grab pants.
We have also been enjoying the fruits of Shonnie and Gpaw's garden. Last week I decided to make pesto, and let Keating help me pick the basil. He now thinks that he can help out all the time by yanking basil leaves, fruits and veggies straight off of the bush. Here he is looking angelic after being busted for snatching the basil.

And picking the "balls" {grapes} off of Gpaws grape vines. This may be teaching him a bad habit... that you can just pick things and eat them whenever you want. It is probably why he felt it was okay when my mom turned her back, and he drank from the fish pond. Seriously. Why? Is this just a boy thing? At least he can laugh at himself and take enjoyment out of the small things. This kid keeps us laughing all the time. He is the light of my life.

I am ready for Fall, can I get an amen!?

Whitewashing

2011-08-03T14:32:00.005-04:00

I have been in love with whitewashed brick for as long as I can remember. There are a few local homes in town that have it, and once I saw Paula Deen's brick backsplash, I was smitten. I just didn't know how to go about getting it. I dont think I will be able to have a brick backsplash since it seems that adding brick would be very labor intensive... but I could always transform the brick we already have.

As you can sort of see in this photo, our fireplace sticks out like a sore thumb. It stands in the middle of our living room with all its dated brick and faux brass glory. I am thinking that a white washed look would be the perfect accent and make it a nice focal point for the room...Not just an eye sore. I am hoping it would give the room a bit of history, making it look perfectly aged.

Plan A is to use a lime wash. People have used this approach for 100's of years, I just hope I can pull it off! If it is unsuccessful I will try the painted route. I have searched endlessly online for lime washing instructions, and good detailed directions are hard to come by. So I am going to take photos in case any one else is interested in doing it as well. My experiment starts tomorrow so I will let y'all know how it goes.

Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday to my Mom!

2011-07-30T09:37:00.006-04:00

Dear Mom, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and tell you that I love you and thank you for all that you do. I know I don't tell you that enough. I couldn't have a better role model as a mom, and I hope to be to my children what you are to me. You are my best friend and mom all rolled in to one. Even during the years when most moms and daughters are yelling and slamming doors, we never were. You have always been there to support and understand and be flat out honest when I needed it. I appreciate that because your love and honesty have gotten me where I am today.I know I tease you and laugh when you stub your toe, but I am pretty sure it's safe to say that I am already turning in to you. It is a good thing that you are pretty great, and that I have good things to look forward to! The old saying is true, like mother like daughter. Sorry for giving you gray hair when you taught me to drive a stick shift, I guess I have my own gray hair coming to me in the form of a boy named Keating.

Thank you for taking good care of my baby, and making my transition of going back to work an easy one. Even though I think Keating now likes you more than me, I appreciate everything you do to make him happy and feel loved. You are truly the best "Shonnie" he could ever ask for.

Thanks for being crazy and always up for a laugh. Thanks for teaching me the art of people watching, it is an invaluable skill. You have instilled in me things like not taking yourself too seriously and enjoying good wine.

Most importantly, you have raised me with strong Christian morals and good southern values, which come naturally from a true Southern Belle. {You had hair that even Farrah Faucet would envy... so did dad}

Happy Birthday to the best mom I could ever ask for. I love you and wish you many more wonderful birthdays!

Pleasantville

2011-07-28T12:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday while painting the first coat of gray on our kitchen cabinets, Brad decided to tell me how he felt about the paint colors that I chose for our home. Let me start out by saying, that I asked him COUNTLESS times his thoughts on the colors. I sat around many a' nights surrounded by 100's of paint swatches saying "Do you like this one? How about this?" To which he had no opinions and said "Pick whatever you want."

Last night's conversation went a little like this...

Me: "I really love this color gray, it looks great with the counter tops"

Brad: "Yeah I like it, I'm just worried its going to be too dark" "I just feel like when I walk into our house, that I am on the set of Pleasantville... everything is just black, white and gray. I wish you had picked more color" I asked him people... I asked him!

Granted, right now when you walk in our house, it is very neutral. I see it is a blank canvas to enhance with colorful accessories, where we wont have to be stuck with a color until we decide to repaint. I can change out things as I feel the urge. {which happens a lot} I told him that it would be completely different once we moved our furniture and belongings in. To which he promptly reminded me that we had gray couches and recently bought a new black bedroom set. I told him to just trust me, that it would all come together. So while our house is filled with black and gray, I will be bringing color to it like the scandalously colored people of Pleasantville.

I am thinking of painting our old wood barstools a fun new color. Red is at the top of my list, but I am not deciding just yet.

Source: oddgirloutblog.blogspot.com via Candace on Pinterest

Maybe pairing them with a cherry red china cabinet.

An inky blue desk could also be a fun pop of color. My old college desk is just begging for a coat of shiny paint! I recently painted a pair of kid's chairs in this color for Keating's room and they are too cute!

Speaking of Keating's room, I know it wont be lacking any color. Everything kid related is colorful. I kept his walls neutral as well, I didn't want to over do it. I plan on adding a book shelf like this on his wall, to encourage his obsession with books.

Here, a nice neutral room comes to life with easily changeable pillows.

This room could have easily been very "Pleasantville" but the bright pillows and art work really bring it to life.

I love these fun yellow chairs, not sure about the comfort level though!

All images are via Pinterest. I am sorry if I took any of your images and did not properly credit you. I cannot for the life of me figure out the pinterest embed feature. Please forgive me.

House Updates... Still in progress

2011-07-22T08:01:00.000-04:00

Yes, we are still working on the house. We had no idea getting in to this "little" process that it would take so long. Here we are on month three, but we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Here's a few updates for anyone that is curious what has been taking us so long!

**Pics are not good quality... sorry**

This is a view of our new ceiling that our friend Austin is installing. They are casing out all of the beams to look like solid wood beams and then he installed the planks. We are currently in the process of deciding whether to paint or do some sort of semi transparent stain on the planks. Suggestions?

This is the wall that used to be dividing the kitchen from the old formal living room. The cased openings really make the kitchen seem so much bigger. We were going to do the trim on them more traditional, but I love the way the charcoal is turning out.

This is a view from the back door.

This is the view when you walk in to our new bedroom. The door to the left is the closet, the door to the right is the bathroom.

And a view from the bathroom door.

I really need a wide angle lense and not an iphone to take these photos.

Apparently I picked the most difficult tile to install in a shower. It kept breaking and wouldnt stay put... oops! I think it looks really pretty though!

The recessed cabinet in the wall actually used to be one of the kitchen cabinets that we took down. Gotta love reusing something you already have.

Well, that is all of the poor quality photos I have for today. Hopefully I will have a finished house to show y'all soon enough!

Brunette?

2011-07-19T22:10:00.005-04:00

It is that time again, where I am tired of my hair color and I want to dye it. My hair is naturally in between brown and blond, which makes it brond? But right now, its just blah. I am craving a rich brown shade like some of my favorite brunette ladies. {These photos also show my love of teen drama shows}

I plan to dye at home because this Clairol kit makes it so easy. It is also only semi- permanent so that I dont have to regret my little whim forever. Do you have an at home hair color that you love?

Favorite Things - Baby Edition

2011-07-12T21:31:00.002-04:00

I have a few friends that are currently pregnant that have asked me what baby things that we used, what we liked, and what we didn't like. I figured that I better hurry up with this post, because the baby days are quickly fading away. Keating's soft sweet toys have been replaced with activities such as pushing a pooper scooper around the back yard. So here is a list of our favorite things before I forget!

1. Fisher Price Lamb Chair- It has a more official name, but it you google it, it should pop right up. We just called it the Lamb Chair, and this lamb chair made my son sleep. Keating slept here for the first 6ish weeks of his life. Looking back, that makes me feel like a bad mother, but it was "Whatever works!" for us as first time parents. It is wonderful, it vibrates, and plays music, although he didn't care for the music. We also never used the mobile attachment, it just got in the way. It was a great babysitter when I just needed to hop in the shower really quick and could sit him on the bathroom floor in it. This thing traveled to every room of our house, luckily it is very light weight.
2. Diapers- I had strong opinions before Keating was born that we would only use Pampers, because Pampers were supposed to be THE BEST. Well I know that what works for one parent doesn't work for another, but Pampers were awful for us. They made for disgusting blowouts and lots of ruined onesies. A few months in, we switched to cloth. My favorite cloth brand is Fuzzi Bunz because they are trim, hold in everything, and have really great colors.
When Keating wears disposable diapers, (which he has a lot recently because I am too lazy to go up two stories to wash them) He wears the Target Up and Up brand , they are fantastic and I have never ever had a leak or explosion with them. They are also cheap at $13.97 for 96 of them or .14 a piece. I also like that they dont have stupid characters on them, just polka dots.
3. Tiny Love Mobile - This thing is hardly neutral and did not match our nursery, but he loved it. A friend recommended it to me when we started having him sleep in his crib. It plays classical music and the little characters have black and white accents that really caught his attention. When he was older he learned to turn it on by himself and he would stare at it forever.

4. Bottles - I tried a lot of different brands of bottles, but he would really only take the Coddlelife bottle. I liked it because it only have 3 pieces to wash, and seemed to transition flawlessly between breast feeding and bottle feeding. The one thing I didn't like is that they have to be ordered online. We only had 4 but we made it work.

5. Babywise - I know that every method isn't for every parent, but this was a GOD SEND for us. It helped us with getting Keating on a schedule, sleeping in his own bed, and sleeping through the night. Around 8 months he regressed a bit with his sleeping and I went back to it to get back on track. I think it gave him great sleeping habits. Now he will say "night night" when he is ready to nap or go to bed. Then lays in bed and puts himself to sleep. Of course he has his off nights, but over all he is a great sleeper and I attribute it to this. Had it not been for Babywise, I think he could still be crammed into his Lamb Chair or trying to sleep with us!

6. Swaddling - If I could tell every new clueless parent {like we were} one thing to do to help their baby sleep it would be swaddle, swaddle SWADDLE!!! I knew this before having a baby, yet when we brought him home from the hospital, I came to the conclusion that he didn't like it because he fought it. If you didn't read my blog when Keating was a newborn, he was a difficult baby to say the least. He would cry for what seemed like hours, some days it would be all day. Once we used the Swaddle me he would stop crying and calm down. This also helped him sleep because his little flying arms didn't wake himself up. We stopped swaddling him when he began rolling around and could get his arms out of it.

This is all that I can think of at the moment. These were the crucial things that we really couldn't live without, the things that made life as a new mom just a little bit easier. When you are walking around smelling like spit up and you look and feel like a zombie... it is the little things that count!

Good Stuff via Pinterest

2011-07-10T21:19:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I made these AMAZING Salted Caramel Butter Bars for the 4th of July Festivities. They were BY FAR the most amazing thing I have ever made, But I cannot take credit for them, they came from here. Do yourself a favor and make a batch! Simply amazing, but they can only appear in my house for special occasions or I would be in big trouble!

I love this arrangement with the typography artwork and photos. That table is amazing.

How awesome are these nails!? Apparently if you put rubbing alcohol on your nails and then press newspaper to them, this is the result. Who knew?!

I love gallery walls! They remind me of going to my grandparents house and looking at their hallway filled with photos of my mom and her sisters with Farrah Faucet hair. I plan to have one in our home, I am just not sure if I will do this many.

With temperatures hitting 97 degrees around here, I keep finding myself dreaming of fall. I am going to start saving my pretty pennies for these boots. If I buy just one thing for myself this year... it will be these.

What a cute idea is this? I think I am going to do this for Thanksgiving and then I could hang Christmas cards from it in December.

And since it is still summer... here is a precious swim suit that I need to find asap. I am starting to realize that my days of wearing bikinis may just be dwindling, this could have something to do with eating the Salted Caramel Butter Bars, or it could just be a fact of life... I'm not exactly a spring chicken anymore! I think this is a cute one piece without being matronly.

Boys Will Be Boys

2011-07-07T21:43:00.003-04:00

Today when I got home from work, I could hear Keating, but I couldn't see him. When he realized that I was home he swiftly crawled though the doggie door to show me his new toys. His Shonnie bought him a prize today because she felt bad that he has a cold and is getting 4 new teeth. Does this look like the energy level of a sick, teething child?? His new toys are a set of tools that he spent the day traumatizing the dogs with. The saw and drill really move and make noise, which he thinks is awesome... the dogs, not so much. These photos aren't great quality but he was running around so fast "sawing" things that my lens couldn't keep up.

Honestly, only a little boy would enjoy a toy such as a drill. I guess it means one day he will also enjoy yard work and doing projects around the house like his dad?

Another thing that this little boy likes to do, is charm the ladies. Last weekend we had a play date at the park with Heidi and Gianna. Keating and Gigi had lots of fun playing, but when it came to flirting he saved all of that for Heidi! He kept doing things to try to get her attention, then he would look at her and bat his eyes. He's such a ham. (photos stolen from Mrs. Foreste)

Giving sweet eyes while showing off his impressive tire climbing skills.
All of that playing worked up a few little appetites. So the kids shared a "nack" (snack) and Gigi insisted on feeding each bite to Keating. She's such a sweet girl. We really miss them living close by.

Lemon trees, light reading, house sneak peek

2011-07-01T20:39:00.003-04:00

I am the proud owner of a lemon tree! When I first decided that I wanted a lemon tree, I thought it would be small and petite like the pictures I saw online... sitting on a table. Well, this meyer lemon tree is quite large, it is as tall as me... So it wont be sitting on our table, but it is AWESOME. I was so happy that Brad got me my random request! My sister also went above and beyond and gave me a Kelly Moore camera bag. {I thought I got her a great gift with The Pioneer Woman Cooks!} It is just what I have been needing. Little compartments for all of my lenses and memory cards, its nice and deep, with plenty of room. In. Love. Wow, I am so tacky talking about my gifts. Sorry Yall!

I don't know what it is about summer and wanting to take in a good book. Maybe it was instilled in me during all of those years of excrutiating summer reading, {Animal Farm anyone??} Or maybe it is that I like to read books before they become movies, either way I am deep into The Help and it is GREAT! That Hilly Holbrook is a piece of work, she makes me so mad! I can't wait to see how it ends, then I will see the movie and be disappointed because it is usually nothing like the book. Does anyone else have any good books to recommend?

This month also marks 1 YEAR that we have been living in my parent's basement. What was supposed to be a short 3 month stay has stretched out to be much longer. We are very blessed to have been able to comfortably live here, but it would be an understatement to say that we are REALLY looking forward to getting in to our house. Fingers and toes crossed that we will be in this month. We have had a lot of hold ups with old wiring, older plumbing, and inspections. Hopefully all of that is behind us and the three week countdown we were given will soon be a reality.

Here is a little peek at the formerly heinous hall bathroom. It still has some work to go with the vanity, but it is amazing what a little paint, a new window, new lighting, new ceilings, and crown molding will do! I am still not a huge fan of the wall tile and I am thinking that it will eventually have to be replaced. Has anyone ever done anything to alter existing tile, maybe a glaze? Is it as bad as I am making it out to be?

Speaking of bathrooms, I picked out tile for our new master bathroom last week and it is currently being installed. I went with a neutral square travertine for the shower with a brick inlay accent, and a dark grey/ brown floor tile. I can't wait to see the finished result!

This weekend we will be having a playdate with Gianna and Mrs. Foreste, watching a concert and fireworks in town, and hopefully a lot of relaxing! I hope that everyone has a safe and HAPPY 4th of July!!!

Its my birthday

2011-06-21T21:30:00.006-04:00

Today is my birthday! The only things on my wish list this year, are for my house to FINALLY be finished, and for this little indoor lemon tree. I sent a link to the site to Brad about a month ago, we will see if he comes through! (Yes, I realize that a lemon tree is a very random gift to request.)

But how pretty would this be in my house? That is if I can prevent Keating from taking all of the "balls" off of it!

I usually don't get bothered by being another year older, but this year seems a little different. Maybe it is because I can visualize time passing by in the form of my son growing up and getting bigger. Maybe it is because I'm a year closer to thirty. I remember as a kid celebrating my dads 27th birthday and thinking that was SO old! Well, here I am!! I'm sure 27 will be a great year, after all... Age is just a number!

Have you ever had mixed feelings about getting older?

A Little Bit of Life

2011-06-19T16:14:00.003-04:00

Hello! I hope everyone has had a great weekend! Thank you all for the comments on my sisters wedding. June seems to be the month of weddings. I just wrapped up another fabulous wedding weekend for my beautiful friend Laney. I know that summer time is meant for relaxing, but so far, we haven't had a minute to spare. Part of the problem is that my husband cant seem to just chill. My idea of relaxation is spending time by the pool, Brads is cutting grass... A few weekends ago we had the chance to go out to our property and piddle around while Brad was busy on the lawn mower. Keating thinks that the lawn mower is a golf cart. He says "GOLF CART GOLF CART GOLF CART!!!!" Until we let him take a ride.

On another "relaxing" day, Brad and my dad built this dock for our pond. I think we will get lots of use out of it, it makes for the perfect afternoon fishing spot. I am sure Keating will really enjoy it when he is older.
Speaking of Keating he doesn't relax either. At home he is full speed ahead until he crashes at 8 or 9pm. It seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, he also has a love of lawn maintenance like his dad. So much, that he went outside right after breakfast to beat the heat and mow the lawn. I didn't even get to change him out of his pj's! He's something else, he has us laughing constantly.

I am really not sure who replaced my baby with this little boy. This time last year I was dealing with a screaming baby and wondered "Will this EVER end??" Now he is happy as long as he is busy doing something or finding mischief, I can't imagine where he gets that from. The other day when unloading the dishwasher, he was trying to "help" me. Some times he will take a spoon or cup out and run away like a little bandit. Well, he disappeared and I realized immediately that he was too quiet and too quiet equals trouble. Sure enough I found him sitting on the dog bed with a steak knife. I nearly flipped out. I better figure out what Nice and Easy hair color I am, because I can just feel the gray hairs coming. He is a handful and sometimes its utterly exhausting, but how could you not enjoy this sweet face?
He tends to run around like a country bumpkin in nothing but a diaper most of the time. He gets so messy and/ or wet from playing in his little pool that its just easier this way, or I am a lazy parent. And for those that I know are going to say it... yes, he looks just like his father!

Alright, well I managed to get in a whole blog post during nap time, but nap time is over and Blue is already requesting a golf cart ride. He also stinks really bad. Duty calls.

My Sisters Wedding

2011-06-15T20:51:00.002-04:00

If you have ever planned a wedding, then you know how time consuming it is, especially the last few weeks leading up to it! This past Saturday my little sister got married. As bitter sweet as it is for a big event such as this to finally be over, I am a little relieved that life can return as normal. It took place at the beautiful Kellum Valley Farms in Cleveland, Georgia. From the moment we arrived the staff at the wedding site was nothing but helpful. They truly went above and beyond to make sure that the day was unforgettable.

The photo below was actually taken on the front porch because an hour before the ceremony torrential thunderstorms swept through the area. The entire wedding was set to be outside, and there was no plan B. Is my sisters dress not gorgeous? It fit her like a glove. Sadly the whole bottom ended up muddy from the rain. Luckily we had a precious flower girl, that said a prayer for us, and the rain disappeared!

I think this is one of the only good family photos we have together. To get Keating to smile we just say the word "stupid" and he cracks up every time. A little inappropriate and even strange, but hey, whatever works! "1, 2, 3, STUPID!!"

The newly weds taking a little ride. This place has the best props that just look like they have been there forever. An antique bike leaning against an old barn is so picturesque.

My dad and Han, I think he is pretty happy this was his last time having to do the whole marrying off his daughter thing. I'm sure it was pretty tough for him, but he handled it like a champ.

Blue and his auntie. He was a pretty handsome ring bearer. How cute is a baby in a seersucker bowtie? I made it using this pattern. It was super easy.

The site is gorgeous, with old school ruins from the early 1900's. Hannah and our sassy little mom. How pretty is her dress?
Announcing Mr & Mrs! Their first dance was to "Wagon Wheel" It was a great song to start the night with.

Me with the bride and groom. They had a blast at their reception. We danced to a mix of classic rock and Michael Jackson. How could you NOT enjoy that dance mix? Wow I just realized I almost look topless in this photo.

Well these are all of the photos that I could heist from facebook. I will return when I upload the photos I took with all of the details that went into making this day special.

May House Updates

2011-05-26T13:38:00.003-04:00

Well, I can't believe that it is already the end of May! This month flew by and life has been busy. But, that's life! For starters, I have these two trouble makers on my hands. From 5:30 until my head hits the pillow, one of both of them is fighting for my attention or needing constant entertainment. Keating has learned to climb on everything that is dangerous, and digging through anything that is not child proofed. He is a scavenger and can find things you never knew you had! I should give him a list of things that are missing so that he can be on the look out! Here's Lola enjoying Blue's baby pool. She appreciates it way more than he does!

The house progress is moving slowly but surely. We took on way more than we originally planned, and came across hold ups with old plumbing and electricity that had to be replaced. We are hoping to be moving in sometime in early June, but I am thinking it will be late June.

Sorry for the Iphone photos.

Here is the living room with the first coat of new paint {SW Agreeable gray} and new can lights. We took down the old light fixtures and these beams will be cased out to look like old barn wood beams. The fireplace will also be painted a lighter color. We are doing our best to combine Brad's and my style to make it a home we both appreciate. Barn wood = Brad, Gray paint and white trim = me. New lights and windows really brighten up this space!

Here is the hall bath with a new bigger/ nicer window, new trim, and no old weird mirror. Even though this room is far from being finished, I already think the tile looks better without as much sea foam green in there.

This is the guest room, It is hard to see from the photo, but the color is a nice blue grey. I cant remember the name off of the top of my head. Brad "thinks" the color is turquoise... I swear that man is color blind.

Here are the new doors to our master bedroom. This wall used to have a hall closet and one master door to it. The old closet area is now added to the master for extra room.

Here is our master bath and closet addition so far. The contractors are currently waiting for the inspectors to give it the go before they can drywall everything in. The doorway to the left of the photo will be the closet. The one to the right of it goes to the bathroom. Both of these will be sliding barn doors. I. CANT. WAIT.

The future shower to the right. To the left will be the tub. Over the tub will be a nice big window to let in a lot of natural light.

And here is the vanity and toliet. You can kind of get a better peek of the master from this angle.

And just for comparison purposes, here is Keating's room in the early progress.

Here it is mostly finished minus carpet. The color is not nearly this dark or brown as seen in the photo. I used Sherwin Williams Relaxed Khaki. It really is amazing what paint will do for a space! You can also see the nice new trim, smooth ceilings, and new floor boards. His room will also have a wall of chalkboard paint{not yet painted}, but for some reason that photo wont upload.

So there ya have it. That's where we're currently at. I am hoping the final leg moves a lot faster because I am so ready to have my own house again. I'm ready to decorate, and cook dinner, garden, and have friends over. I also have so many projects in mind that my head is swimming with them! Since the chances of me blogging again before the weekend are slim, I wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

Bad haircuts and broken bubble mowers

2011-05-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

I realize that I haven't given any real updates about Keating since I stopped his monthly posts. Life just flies by too fast... how do I have a 15 month old!? Last week Blue's hair was getting a little long over the ears, so I decided to give him a quick trim like I did a few months back. I always cut Brad's hair, so this is no biggie, just a little more complicated. Blue cries and flails about while I am attempting to cut his, this reaction has not gotten better over time. Well, I grabbed a 5 guard thinking that was the length I used last time, and started in the front. BIG MISTAKE. {note to self, dont ever start cutting hair in the front!} At that point, it was too late and we had to just run with it. All in all, it doesn't look awful, just much shorter than I anticipated. It definitely is growing in much blonder than it used to be. I just hope it grows out before my sisters wedding next month!

Keating is a true boy in every sense of the word. He enjoys things like dirt, sticks, tractors, bats, balls, mud, tools, trucks, cars... so it came as no surprise that he would like his bubble mower. The mower was having a little trouble ~~cutting grass~~ producing bubbles, so he and his Gpaw decided to do a little work on it.

Keating is now talking up a storm, which is a good and bad thing. The good is that he can now say things he wants which equals not as much whining. Can I get an Amen?! But the bad is that he likes to copy things he shouldn't repeat... We definitely have to watch what we say around him now.

So this is where I get to brag on my kid and say how smart he is. =)
If asked, he can show you his feet, toes, hands, fingers, belly button, head, hair, tongue, eyes, mouth, ears, nose, and his manhood... Nice. Typical male.

He can say...
snack, ball, no no, dip it{when he wants to dip his food in ketchup or ranch},belly button, all wet{usually comes after playing in the dog water}, a mess, thank you, all done, bubble, stick, pretty, hair, hey, hello, kisses, bye bye, mama, dada, nose, eyes, truck, moo, woof woof, outside, remote, all four of the dogs names, and stinky. I'm sure there are more that I am forgetting. Of course all of these words are his own interpretation of them, but they are always consistent and now we know what he is talking about. Sweet relief!

He is quite the talker, I can't imagine where he gets that from. One phrase we can't figure out is "a ha ball" Obviously we know what ball is, but no clue about "a ha" This gets repeated 100's of times a day. He is ob-sessed with balls.

He is at such a fun age, we are really enjoying all of the interaction and personality. Such as batting his eyes and flirting with random strangers at the grocery store. His other new trick is stomping his feet or getting completely rigid and arching his back when he doesn't get his way. Ahh the joys of entering toddlerhood!

Blue's First Fish Fry

2011-05-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

This post is a little delayed. Easter weekend was very low key for us. We stayed around the house, frying fish, hunting Easter eggs, and we went to church. This was the first time that Blue had ever had fried fish, I'm not sure if he was more impressed with the fish or the ketchup. Once again, the awesome 80's high chair making its appearance.

When did my baby get so big that he can feed himself with a fork? He is not very clean, but he manages to get some of the food in his mouth.

His new favorite phrase is "dip it" He loves to dip his food in ranch, blue cheese, ketchup or sour cream. I had to get him that little plate for his "dip it" because everything he eats is now dipped. I guess its better than him being a really picky eater.
And just to prove to you that my kid isn't always a dirty little boy... here he is all dressed up in his seersucker thinking "Wow, my mom is hilarious!"

My two handsome boys. {No Brad didn't wear his hat to church, this is before we went to lunch at his Aunt's house}

This is probably one of the only good photos I have of us together over the last few months... notice he is being restrained though!

I can hardly get him to sit still long enough to take a photo alone, that is why he is in the swing... because he cant get down! Such a serious little man.

"I'm so over this"

I had to change him into his play clothes before he could hunt eggs because he has a tendency to find the dirtiest place in the yard to play. I was quite surprised at how great he was at egg hunting. I am pretty confident it is because he has an obsession with balls, and eggs looked like balls to him. I'm also pretty confident that there is a "That's what she said" joke somewhere in the last sentence but I am going to leave it alone.

We did actually hide the eggs, this was just after my niece discarded her overflowing basket, he went in to pick up the scraps.

House Updates!

2011-05-03T20:15:00.002-04:00

I FINALLY have new renovation pictures to share! If you are new around here then you can see before photos here, be warned, it was a little scary. Please come in, just make sure you wash your hands in the random sink on the porch first. This is our new front door. It won't stay this color, we are waiting for the outside of the house to be painted. It also has a little craftsman style shelf that goes under the window giving it a more custom look. Last time you saw the house, the photos showed a lot of paneling and starburst ceilings. Brad tried sanding the ceilings with a ceiling sander and it was a wasted effort, they weren't budging. Instead, we chose to replace them with new sheet rock. While we Brad was at it, he ripped down the old paneling on the walls and had it replaced with sheet rock as well. I know that some houses look great with painted paneling, but since ours only went half way up on the wall the fireplace sits on, {See below, I don't have an updated photo} it really bugged me. Out it went. Here is a view from the front door looking in. The new lights make such a difference as do the new openings in the dividing wall. If you can tell from the picture, we have replaced all of the windows to a less 1970's version and more energy efficient. They let so much more light in, its amazing how much bigger everything looks with proper lighting. The long skinny hallway doesn't even look as narrow with recessed lighting and no paneling. A view of the nice open space.

This is Keating's future room, which was in serious need of repair in case you can't tell by the amount of sheetrock mudding on the walls... The ceiling also had water damage, so I am glad that we decided to include new flat ceilings in the renovation. The bedrooms also got recessed lighting and new windows. The room looks HUGE with all of the daylight. Here is a little memory refresher of our master bedroom... Isn't she a beaut? Here is the master in its current state. Is it bad that I would rather live in this half finished room than the before?? We added the window on the left hand wall {Which may or may not be bad placement depending on how big our new headboard is... oops} We raised the ceiling to a trey ceiling and added can lights. The boarded up window is where our bathroom addition is going. The addition has been framed out and is looking great! I just dont have any photos of it yet. To those that have asked, no we haven't painted yet =) But hopefully that will be happening in the next few weeks. I also finally chose paint colors and have forbidden myself to look at any new ones that may change my mind. I am easily impressionable and I just need to leave well enough alone!

April Wedding Showers

2011-05-02T08:01:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posting, life has just been flying by. In my spare time I have been getting ready for my sister's wedding shower that I was co-hosting this past Saturday. I hosted the shower with my mom's best friend, my aunt, cousin and sister in law.

The blushing bride and Me... She really is a lot taller than me

{My sister, me and my cousin}

We wanted to make sure that the shower was really special for Hannah. I wanted to be sure that we included all of her favorite things. We started out with a sherbert champagne punch, because what is a wedding shower with out champagne punch!? In case you are wondering it is a scoop of raspberry sherbert, a spash of cran/raspberry juice and champagne. They go down quite nicely!

They also look really pretty too!
We like to keep it classy with the Andre champagne!

Hannah also happens to LOVE biscuits, so I included a "Biscuit Bar". I used frozen Pillsbury biscuits and then guests were able to dress them up with homemade butters and jams. The Lemon Butter was a favorite and so easy! I will share the recipe later if anyone is interested.
We also had cinnamon honey butter, blackberry butter, and homemade pepper jelly from my mom's garden.
My Aunt and cousin Kendall brought this gorgeous cake all the way from our favorite bakery in Louisiana. They froze it to get it here safely and then Kendall dressed it up with flowers. The girl could seriously be a florist.
My Aunt put together all of the gorgeous floral arrangements. She used hydrangeas in blue and white, little purple flowers that I do not know the name of, and white roses. They turned out so pretty!

We also had freshly grown purple irises straight from the garden.

Karen, {my mom's best friend}, is an amazing baker. She made mini cupcakes in three different flavors. Homemade Red velvet with cream cheese butter cream, yellow cake with chocolate butter cream, and yellow cake with caramel and pecans on top. They were incredible. I only ate one... okay fine I cannot tell a lie... I had a lot more than one!

Karen got a little cupcake happy, they were everywhere!

Wedding showers and gifts are nice, but I think it is still important to remember the reason for the festivities. I asked Han's fiance if he would mind writing a little note that I could display at her shower. Just something nice that would make her smile... He went above and beyond with his letter.She was so surprised that she cried when she read it. It was really sweet.
This photo is a little random, but I wanted to include my pretty tissue paper flowers. I thought they were a nice spin on the tissue paper balls that you always see.

We had a cute little helper "helping" us set up. I took my eye off of him for a minute and then found him playing in a puddle of water underneath the water cooler saying "OH NO, WET!" and splashing his hands in it. He was just not a fan of the girly shower things, he also wasn't in the mood for any kisses. He is all boy!
He just anxiously awaited for his G-Paw to come and pick him up! Such a sweet boy.

Not to toot my own horn, but I am pretty convinced that it was one of the prettiest wedding showers I have ever been to. =)
OH! And I almost forgot to mention, we ended the shower with Root Beer/Coke Floats in Mason Jars. I love Root Beer floats so much, I just had to include them! It was a nice way to thank everyone for coming.

Good Friday, Great Saturday, Easter Sunday

2011-04-23T09:33:00.003-04:00

Last night I played the third wheel with my sister and her fiance to go see Water For Elephants. Brad had no interest in seeing the movie, so he stayed home as baby sitter. This is one movie that I was really hoping that Hollywood didn't screw up the amazing storyline from the book. I have to give it two thumbs up. It was changed a small bit to make the story flow better on film, but over all they did a FANTASTIC job. Rob and Reece were great together. It was all filmed so beautifully too. Has anyone else seen it? What did you think?

Today we are going to run a few errands to prepare for our Easter Sunday festivities as well as my sister's wedding shower next weekend. My Easter dinner food responsibilities include homemade creamed corn and the Lemon Cake I posted about a while back. The shower will have to be another post on its on, because we are doing amazing food for that!

I totally dropped the ball on a cute Easter outfit for Blue to wear. Mom fail. I guess he will be wearing something he already has. Oops! We also have yet to dye eggs, we better get on that today. At least I didn't forget to prepare an Easter basket! His is going to be full of Melissa & Doug sorting and stacking toys and one of these little bunnies courtesy of Martha Stewart. I am really hoping once I have my house and we are settled in, that I am not as scatterbrained as I am now. Here's to hoping!

I wish everyone a great weekend and a Happy Easter! We are eternally grateful to have a God that loves us so much that he gave us his only Son. Happy Easter Yall!

My Redeemer Lives!!!

CLEARLY I have a problem...

2011-04-17T19:26:00.003-04:00

My name is Candace, and I have an addiction... with paint chips. This photo is even downsized and many chips are stacked on top of others. I have two swatch books and then every gray card x2 made by each paint company. Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Martha Stewart, we are tight. Valspar, Glidden, Behr, Porter paint... yep they're all part of my paint entourage. With all of these samples, I could seriously wallpaper an entire room in my house. Who knew that deciding on colors would be this complicated!? It is for me, for a few reasons.

1. This is our first home "together." Our last house was my house before we got married. I picked whatever color I wanted, and slapped it on the walls. Looking back now, I would probably change most of the colors that I first painted in the house. My tastes have changed a lot, and I want something a lot more neutral and airy. I am putting a lot of pressure on myself to choose the right colors that the whole family will love. I also feel like at this stage in the renovation, this is ALL I can do.

2. Brad doesn't have an opinion until he despises something. I have been dying to paint our hall bathroom peacock blue since we first decided that we were going to move. I kept this plan to myself because in my mind, it was so brilliant, and I really didn't think Brad would care. Umm, who would have known that he hates peacock blue. He loathes it like kids loathe brussel sprouts... what a strange thing to hate. Looks like the hall bath will be beige because I am out of ideas at this point.

3. I have been set on finding the perfect shades of gray. I have decided on SW Agreeable Gray {a warm gray or greige if you will} for the walls in the main living area and kitchen, SW Gauntlet Gray on the cabinets and SW Snowbound for the island and trim throughout the house... and that's where I can't decide what other colors to use. I have OBVIOUSLY confused myself with too many options!

4. I'm now concerned the whole house is going to be too monochromatic. To me, I see the differences in all of the colors that I love, to others, they all look the same. "Looks the same as everything else" as my future brother in law so kindly told me when I asked him what he thought of a misty blue green I found for the hall bathroom. Thanks El, thanks a lot!

I do have other color options in my palette, but I am a little too indecisive to commit to bold colors {besides a hall bath}. I would love to use yellow in our guest room. But then I start an internal debate... Is yellow just a color that I love right now? Will I like it long enough to paint it on the walls? How will I feel in October when I want everything to feel like fall? I would rather have neutral walls and bolder accessories.

I THINK ABOUT THIS WAY TOO MUCH! I HAVE A PROBLEM!

Maybe I could have any area I haven't yet decided on just painted a basic beige. Then when inspiration hits me, I will be ready to go? Thoughts?

PS. Someone new please follow me so that I dont have 666 followers!

Life Lately

2011-04-07T22:06:00.004-04:00

Life lately has consisted of Keating growing like a weed. Life has just been flying by and sometimes I just feel like I cant keep up with it all. Keating is finally walking and is in to EVERYTHING. He has found all of the un-childproofed cabinets and drawers and thoroughly taken inventory of the pots and pans, wine cooler, and tupperware. So far he has come out unscathed except for an incident with a barstool where he busted his lip.Last weekend, we went out to our pond to enjoy the sunshine and watch Brad cutting grass. I got a little too happy about the weather and thought that it was going to be warmer than it really was, that explains Keating looking ticked and cold. {Bad mom}

Luckily I found a jacket in the car for him, even though he looked kind of like a goober, at least he was warm! Anyways, like I said... he is in to EVERYTHING. Though, one thing he is not in to is having his picture taken. As a photographer this just kills me, so I stalk him with the camera when I can trying to get a good shot. I tried making him pose with my new hydrangeas but he was having none of that. You can see his little busted lip, its tough being a new walker.
On Sunday I was brave and brought Blue along for a photo shoot. I got there a few minutes early to attempt more photos of him. He was impressed with the "tee" he was standing by. He is saying a ton of words now and copies everything. The other day in the car I had to slam on the brakes and his response was "WHOA!!" His ability to use words in context is a little frightening so we have definitely had to start watching what we say.
He is walking about 95% of the time, but when he really wants to get somewhere in a hurry he still crawls. He thinks crawling is a game now because he is usually doing it to get away from us when he is trying to do something he isnt supposed to be. {Yes, I had him wearing cords in Spring, dont judge it was laundry day!}

He is also obsessed with balls now. I guess this is a boy thing? Lately, he has been having fighting matches with the dogs over balls instead of playing with his own toys.

Today after work, we went for a little field trip to the farm across the street to feed the cows and goats. Blue was a little afraid of the size of the cow and his huge tongue that kept trying to lick the apple in his hand. He was more jealous that these animals were stealing food from him.
I love how spring time brings cute little babies.
He started stuffing his face with apples so that he didn't have to share his food. We have no photos together and the one we get he has apples pouring out of his mouth. Nice.

Cows really are like over sized dogs. They just wait around at an awkwardly close distance, breathing their hot stinky breath, and waiting for food droppings.

Everyone enjoyed the apples and had a good time!

Freaking A-ddress

2011-04-05T22:16:00.004-04:00

I have been waiting a really long time to order a personalized address stamp. I didn't want to order one in our old house because I knew we would not be staying there too much longer, and I didn't want to jinx anything and order one for our new/old house too early. I figured it was finally safe to order my stamp.... and then...

OUR COUNTY HAS DECIDED TO CHANGE OUR ADDRESS!!! Our house has had the same address since the SEVENTIES when it was built. Brad grew up in this house and had the same address his whole life.... The same address that he learned how to write in kindergarten, the same address that all of our bills go to, drivers licenses etc. and NOW they want to go and change it!?
SERIOUSLY!?

Yes I know it is just a number, but WHAT A PAIN!

Here's what happened. When Brad went to the county to get the permits for all of the renovations, they told him that our house didn't exist on their map. It baffled all of the people in the office. All of the official people that hand out the over priced little permits didn't know what to do. Apparently this conundrum has gone unnoticed for the last 40 years, and NOW they are going to do something about it.

Good thing I didn't order a house number for the porch yet!

I plan on ~~pitching a fit~~, I mean persuading them to make up for our hassle, I also think they should buy me a new stamp! So frustrating, nothing can ever just go smoothly can it!?

My Newest Favorite Recipe and thanks!

2011-03-30T21:44:00.004-04:00

Image via WhipperBerry

Y'all know how I LOVE an easy, semi homemade recipe. Well, I have officially decided after a successful trial run, that these are my new favorite recipe! The Red Velvet Cookie With White Chocolate Chunks, is to die for. I highly suggest that you run out to the store to purchase ingredients immediately. 1. cake mix 2. two sticks of butter 3. one cup flour 4. 1 egg 5. 2 cups chips You wont be sorry!

I started thinking of all of the ways that this recipe could be adapted....

Lemon cookies with white chocolate chunks
Chocolate cookies with white chocolate/ peanut butter/ dark chocolate/mint chocolate... basically any kind of chips they make {You can't go wrong here!!}
Vanilla cookies{for my weird-o husband that doesn't like chocolate} with any sort of chip

I can't wait to experiment with this recipe! I will let everyone know of any successful combinations!

Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions for our bathroom. I stopped by the house today and talked with the contractor about options. For now we have decided that the most cost effective option will be to keep the base cabinets under the sink and he will cut off the excess counter top. This will leave just the sink vanity with no random cut outs anywhere.

The glass shelves will also be going, along with the pretty curtain and the existing mirror. We are also replacing the window which should make things much brighter in there Brighter in a good way, not in a bright SEAFOAM sort of way! I have yet to choose a paint color. I need to do a little more playing with my fan deck to make the call.

On another topic, I am SO TIRED OF RAIN! I'm ready to have more spring like weather so that I can get to planting these lovelies in our yard! Without a doubt the prettiest Hydrangeas I have ever seen. I HEART Costco!

I hope everyone is having a great week! Only two days until the weekend!!

What Would You Do???

2011-03-29T20:40:00.005-04:00

Attention decorators!!!, I need an online consult. I have this beaaauuuutttiifffuuulll seafoam green bathroom that needs your help! I need your help! I have every other aspect of the house pretty much planned out, but this space has just stumped me.

Our budget doesn't have room for this odd hall bathroom, so we are going to have to be crafty.

This bathroom {like much of the rest of the house} was recently redone, just not in our style. The shower and tub are new as is the tile. So all of those things are staying put.

Things I want to change

*The Color
I'm really liking Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams. Or something cream and light to offset the darker tiles? Possibly with a stenciled detail.

*the vanity. I really loathe the vanity... well not so much the base of the vanity, but the weird half moon cutout in the counter top. I am thinking maybe we could only use the portion of cabinets on the sink side and get a new top? Thoughts? Also I would like to paint the cabinets and definitely switch out the knobs

*The Mirror. I would prefer a large mirror hung on the wall instead of a glued on mirror with a faux frame.

Besides these things, I want it to feel more relaxing and spa like and since it is the bathroom that guests will be using {No half bath} I want it to seem more welcoming, not like you're invading a personal area of the house. Does that make sense?

Alright! Bring on the suggestions! FIRE AWAY!!!!

The Ladies Man

2011-03-24T20:14:00.002-04:00

Check out this little charmer! My nanny sends me pictures of Keating throughout the day so that I can see him. This one had me laughing out loud. She went to get him up from his morning nap and this is how his shirt was. I love that he looks so casual, like "Check me out ladies!" My little Casanova!

I was hoping to get to spend lots of time outdoors this weekend, but it looks like the weather is going to be getting the best of us with a ton of rain. What a depressing forecast! I am hoping the weatherman is wrong. If he is, then we have lots on our agenda, including 3 photo sessions, a little furniture rehab, and having lunch with some of my oldest friends. Crossing my fingers for a sunny weekend!

What are your weekend plans? Hopefully a lot sunnier than ours!

This little light of mine...

2011-03-22T22:08:00.002-04:00

Ever since we decided to get neck deep in renovating our old ranch, I have been on the hunt for the perfect kitchen. With all of the posts that I have dedicated to the kitchen... you'd think I was sleeping in there! I promise, I will get around to the bedroom, I just have a one track mind!

I have been really inspired with lanterns lately. Specifically, old ones with lots of character. I have been envisioning an old bronze lantern with lots of character. After combing antique stores, stalking craigslist and weekly trips to Goodwill I have come away with a lot of random items, but no perfect lantern.

Finally I came across this little beauty! I think it has the perfect amount of aging to go along with my old bronze lantern vision. It is not old, nor is it bronze, but I think it is going to work perfectly!

My only concern is that it may be too small over the table. If that's the case, then I am considering getting another like this photo I took in Pottery Barn.

In other house news, the contractors are starting up this week! We can hardly wait to move out of the country. I don't know the reason for farmers to spread chicken crap all over their pastures, but it is DISGUSTING. The rancid smell and burning nostrils have ruined any attempts of going out to enjoy our gorgeous weather lately. Thank you Old McDonald!

Other than picking out things for the house and plugging my nose, I have had a sick baby, a sick husband, and I fired the wrong person at work this week. Keating got an ear infection over the weekend, {these things always seem to happen when his Dr's office is closed.} Brad took him to the Dr Monday morning and the poor little man definitely has an ear ache. He is getting better now, but he was just pitiful until today. Brad has had a cold, which he insists was the flu. {we all know how men are when they get sick! Just kidding Brad!!} I'm just hoping I stay well!!!

And to clarify, I know you're thinking "HOW DID YOU FIRE THE WRONG PERSON!?" There was a mix up with two employees names and I was given the wrong one. It really was not my fault, but of course, I had to fix it! Talk about feeling like a jerk!
"Excuse me, but I'm sorry, I didn't intend to fire you!" Yep, that was awesome.

Anyways, I hadn't posted in a week so I thought I needed to post about something.

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MAWMAW! Sorry I didn't get this up yesterday on your actual birthday!

I Picked Paint Colors and a Goodwill Table

2011-03-14T20:53:00.007-04:00

A little paint can go a LONG way. I know I have beat the gray topic like a dead horse, but I have made a decision out of my many paint samples! I am sure everyone has been on the edge of their seats just waiting in anticipation!! haha!
I couldn't get an accurate view of all of the colors in the house because the house is so dark and the current paint colors were really affecting the way the samples looked. I decided to paint each sample on a piece of poster board to get a better representation. That's a LOT of shades of greige! The center color is my kitchen cabinet color. It is gauntlet gray by Sherwin Williams. I based everything else off of how it looked against the GG.

I am too lazy to edit these, so they appear a little blue. But the color I have decided on {I think} is Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams

I am hoping the paint can really perk up this place! Looks like we will be needing some new recessed lighting! Brad has been pretty busy getting the house ready for the contractors to come in and work their magic.

I have been taking on projects of a much smaller scale... I have been forever searching for a table to match Blue's little red chair for his room. When I spied this one at Goodwill for 12 smackers, I made off with it like a bandit, or so I thought.

Once I really examined it at home, I realized that the top had rippled laminate. I was a little over confident that I could get the laminate off... but I couldn't. I decided that if I painted it patterned, that it wouldn't show up as much. Turned out, I was right. Here is the finished product!

I sanded the table, applied a coat of primer, and then used a sample sized paint pot from Lowe's for the white. Although the process wasn't that fast. The white didn't cover well and it took a lot of coats! Next time I would use spray paint.

The top was painted using a stencil. I love hounds tooth, and I am so glad that I found a cute way to sneak it into Blue's room!

I didn't dare show the underside of the table, because I did a really awful job of painting it!

I just love revamping an old junky piece of furniture!

Free Prints!

2011-03-10T08:18:00.000-05:00

I found out about the New York Public Library site a while back from The Little Green Notebook. If you haven't checked out her blog, then you must! She has fabulous style! and if you haven't ever perused the New York Public Library then you should do that as well. It is a bank of images from anything like an old antique poster, to botanical prints from books. Best part is, you can print them free of charge!

I have been looking for a few to add to Keating's new room. His room is going to have more wall space than his old room so I will need more art work. I also want to drift a little more away from the cowboy feel and do something with more colors. Here are a few fun options I found for his room, as well as other spots.

This one is by far my favorite, it definitely has a future on our wall somewhere!

I love the look of old nursery rhyme books. I think a collection of these in a nursery could be really cute!
Speaking of babies, its a good thing that companies have gotten a little better with baby advertisements... is this not creepy or what!? 1/3 old man, 1/3 monkey, 1/3 little girls in dresses.
So. Wrong.

A nice vintage map would go nice just about anywhere.

I really like this one. It says Wild West, but it is more English riding and hounds, versus cowboys and indians.

I know there are a lot of bird and egg type prints in home stores for lots of moolah, this one is free though!

This is also a favorite of mine. I have had a thing for old circuses since reading Water for Elephants. {If you haven't read it, then what are you waiting for!?} The circus is always fun, and I love all of the red in it.

and if I wanted to carry on the cowboy vibe, then this has a nice worn feel.

I am wanting to print a few of these larger scale and I am wondering if a photo lab would object to using them? I may give it a try and report back!