everyday Stephanie

thursdays tasty treats

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:52:00 +0000

skillet lasagna
I made this last week and we all loved it. bonus points for it being a healthy{ish} and freaking delicious dinner! 275 calories, but it tastes like 1500.
Now, those are the kind of healthy recipes I'm into! :)

Source: thekatechroniclesblog.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I've got a confession...

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:44:00 +0000

since we moved I've had the hardest time getting back into a set cleaning schedule.

I do things here and there but lately my house doesn't have that sparkly clean feeling I like.

for the record, I totally blame Tyler. his new work schedule is awesome so he's around wayyyy more than he's ever been in our entire marriage. and fun fact, I like him. he's a lot of fun. and really? I just don't want to clean when he's home especially when there's 1001 other fun things we could be doing like.... soccer in the backyard, curling up and watching some ~~glee~~ manly t.v., grilling out, laying out while the chicks splash in the pool....

so needless to say cleaning? it's been pushed to the back burner.no more.
I found this handy little schedule {on pinterest, of course!} and am following it for a week and then plan to adjust it accordingly.

example: laundry day for me is nearly every day. for reals.typically though I wash the linens on Thursdays. and I vacuum and steam mop every morning- a lot of the night chores I'll shift to the morning because I like that stuff done before I leave the house.and toilets? bless his heart, that is Tyler's job. I just can't do it. at least not without gagging until my eyes water. true story.
what do YOU do to keep your house from looking like two little hurricanes masquerading as children have torn through it?

weekend recap.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:03:00 +0000

I went on an unintentional but much needed blog break.

Sorry for the lack of posting- and pictures of the chickies if you're family!

*****************

We had a loooong weekend that was the best way to kick off a great summer.
Seriously we squeezed in as much as we possibly could and it was so so good.

Friday we went to the science museum {in OKC which is wonderful! the more I go the more I love that city!} had lunch a wonderful hole-in-the-wall mexican place and squeezed in some long overdue shopping at Target aka my happy place.

Friday night was date night! Somehow we didn't get a picture of us but Tyler did manage to snag a picture of me and the margarita trio which btw was delish!

Saturday we headed to Medicine Park for the annual Red Dirt Ball...which is basically a festival with live music and vendors.
Medicine Park is the neatest town- if you're from Texas, it's a little like a small town New Braunfels.they had the neatest swimming spots and trails.
Maggie got her face painted... by a hippie. named Tutti Frutti. who wasn't good at face painting at all. she loved it so we did too.
Avery loooooved the music and showed her enthusiasm through some impressive clapping and her ability to shake it much to the delight {and laughter} of everyone around us.

Saturday night we did a campover {i.e. campout + sleepover in Maggie's vocab} in our backyard.complete with roasted hot dogs and s'mores.
it was sooo fun but Maggie stayed up until well after 11and still woke up before 6 a.m. the next day.sleep deprived chick= cranky.so our Sunday plans to go to LETRA were nixed and we just laid low.
I curled up with Jeneration X and pretty much ignored everyone all day while I laughed myself into near asthma attacks. Jenn Lancaster is hilarious y'all.
also Tyler left to run errands and came home with a treadmill. I looooove it. I wanted one for but couldn't justify spending the money since I have a perfectly good elliptical {that I was so over} so I am pleased as punch!
Monday we spent the day in my favorite state...

Maggie smiles ALL the time but whip out a camera and this is what you get. and yes, that IS quesadilla in her mouth.
Avery loving on some black beans and chips.

so that was our weekend in all of its glory.sweaty, messy and perfect.and if you're still here I am impressed!
happy 4 day week to you!

life lately

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Tue, 22 May 2012 02:08:00 +0000

some of the big ones more recent gems....

********

upon walking into a local mexican restaurant called las margaritas

Maggie felt the need to announce that her "mommy LOVES margaritas!!"

can't blame her for that one because I do ;)

********

today she told me she "likes her baby sister. she thinks she is going to keep her. "

that's good I guess because I kind of like her too.

********
Saturday morning she walked into our room and announced that she had a little bit of cupcake because she loves cupcakes. oh and a little diet coke too.
{both of which she pilfered off the kitchen counter!}

in other news, Avery ate an entire jar of play dough and some finger paint today.
is anybody else interested in changing that diaper for me?

ooooh yes and the winner of the most irritating encounter I had last week involved a mall security cop who was too big for his britches and clearly didn't understand how very seriously this momma takes her cup o' joe.

{taken directly from my fb status}
At the mall play place and I had a cup of coffee when mall security told me the sign says no food or drink. I told him it also says no shoes but every parent here is breaking that rule too. He didn't look too happy.

I kept my cup of coffee.

holllaaaa

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Mon, 21 May 2012 02:05:00 +0000

yes, I just went there.

the hilariously sassy Connie @the young and the relentless

{along with the lovely mimi}

host a book club... which is a pretty snazzy idea for this book lovin' chick.

and guess who won this months book?meeeee.
even better? it's only by ~~my most favorite author of all time because she is hysterical and I kind of want to be her best friend~~ Jennifer Lancasterhence the title of this post "holllaaaa"

bonus points for me for almost buying this book not three weeks ago and instead getting the fifty shades trilogy {with no idea what it was about and then kind of regretting it and please if any of my family is reading this do NOT read the series it made me blush fifty shades of red} so to win it now? amazeballs.
happy weekend to me indeed.
speaking of, we had a good one.parades and mattress shopping and all of that jazz.
yes, everything about this picture screams awesome... windblown hair, pink glittery cowboy hat, Avery's entire mismatched outfit... some days? we just don't have it all together but it doesn't faze us in the least ;)

what I'm excited about

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:37:00 +0000

I finally have dining chairs again!

it might not seem like a big deal to you but I was so over eating around the coffee table.

the end goal is to have these four on the sides and a chair with arms at each end. but baby steps, right?
here they are in all of their eating at the dining table again glory.

{please ignore the huuuuge mirrored tray in the center of the table... I bought that online for our bar without reading the dimensions because I'm awesome at crap like that only to discover it was 2 ft x 2 ft and way too big for our bar. or anywhere else. it's found a temporary home on the kitchen table until I can think of a more permanent home for it.}
and while at the same shop {an adorable little store in small town Oklahoma} I found this coffee table which I needed to come home with but didn't. I still feel a little sad.

{almost} wordless wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:39:00 +0000

I wash shooting for a wordless wednesday but have y'all met me?

wordless I am not.

Avery's first sprinkler.

she loved it!

and I love her chunky thighs :)

Maggie's sassy face.this is the face we get anytime we do anything she doesn't like.intimidating.

Avery's new favorite? our bounce house. chick is always in there.

and I couldn't leave out Trudy, she's the other lady in our lives and lord knows we love her!

house tour{ish}

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:37:00 +0000

this post is mainly for family and friends who want to know what the new place looks like...and for any other nosy people out there like me who want to know anything and everything.{also be warned this post has nine thousand one pictures}**************this is clearly still a work in progress... we've been here a month and these were taken about 2 weeks in so some changes have been made but I'm to lazy to go and retake the pictures. plus that means I'd need to clean up first and who has time for that? ;)
this is right beyond the entryway {you can see part of the front door}we have this huge space that is kind of odd but makes for a great place for the girls to play!lately their bounce house has been occupying a portion of it

with my back to the china cabinet in the above picture you look straight into the dining areathe best part of this house is the open floor plan sorry this picture is so dark... I'm not a master photographer

this is a slightly better picture... and also shows what my table looks like with chairs. ha! but for real there will be new chairs this week... finally. I sold ours at the garage sale because I was just over them and since then I've been on the hunt for the perfect ones. done and for a bargain? yes please!

living area....which is still a work in progress!

the mantle which right now is just holding a variety of things that I'm not sure where to put

and the entertainment center which we still haven't put doors on

kitchen island... to the right you see the living area and to the left is the dining area

standing beside the island.another perk to this place? the kitchen is a pretty good size!

standing in the dining area

the chicklets bathroomwith a guest appearance by Avery sans pants, of course.

Maggie's very messy room! and brand new big girl bed compliments of my in-laws :)I am still working out how to get her room organized and less chaotic.
Avery's room! Also disorganized.are you seeing a trend here?

the view from the front door.we have a decent porch and good sized yard.

and my favorite part of the house...the backyard!

so there you go... a whole lot of our house in OK!there's still 1001 things I need/want to do to include hanging pictures... getting dining chairs... and mainly organizing just about everything.but that said I LOVE it here!

Hey, It's Ok Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:19:00 +0000

linking up with Amber for another

Hey, It's Ok....

to really love Karmin and especially their new song brokenhearted

to know I have crap taste in music for the most part.

to be perfectly ok with that.

to enjoy watching sesame street and eating breakfast every morning.
{sesame street has changed a lot since I was little and yet it remains awesome}

to be completely caught up in the TIME mag cover controversy
and to be honest, I'm all pro-breastfeeding {I nursed both my chickies!}
but honestly? I think it's a bit much.
I think the lovely Raven @a momma's desires and pacifiers nailed it.
{side note, chick is hilarious. she never fails to crack me up}

blessed

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Sun, 13 May 2012 21:12:00 +0000

I am so so blessed and, while I know that every day, sometimes it gets lost in the shuffle.

Messy rooms, crying kiddos and just life can help push aside that little voice that reminds me just how blessed I am.

Luckily I have a fantastic husband and two beautiful, perfect little girls who are more than willing to help remind me.

We had a wonderful weekend... one that went by far to quickly.

Saturday we went to an ~~antique~~ junk market and then to the Arts for All Festival here in Lawton.

It was so much fun!! There were tons of vendors and a bazillion food trucks with some tasty treats. We ended up with all kinds of yummy goodness- cinnamon sugar cashews, cotton candy, garlic parmesan curly fries with parsley and a lamb gyro.

ooooh the bliss. it was definitely not diet friendly but worth every greasy bite!

plus I found a great ring and a necklace. loves.

Sunday Tyler let me sleep in entirely to late that morning and then they brought me a very fancy breakfast in bed along with a card and some flowers. {prosciutto and swiss stuffed crepe with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce with a side of fresh fruit}

I lounged and napped... well attempted to nap. Maggie and I snuggled up for a long afternoon nap and then she peed on me. Yes, ON ME. needless to say I was up and in shower quick as a wink! after that I was wide awake but still continued to laze around.

I felt so spoiled all day and I loved every minute of it.

I am just so thankful for these two little chickies who made me a momma.

I love it and them more than anything.

***and a big, HUGE thank you to Tyler for orchestrating the most perfect day ever.

I am so glad to be married to you!!

friday funnies

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:19:00 +0000

I'm needing some laughs to usher in this Friday...
today was rough.
but the brightside? the chicklets are in bed and the hubs and I have some quality tv to catch up on.
not a bad night in my book!

Source: someecards.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

what I'm loving Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Wed, 09 May 2012 02:33:00 +0000

I finally got a Dyson and I am seriously obsessed.
I'm a bit OCD about my house and vacuum... a lot.
pre-Dyson I was going through vacuums about every three months {hoover, eureka and bissell} at nearly $150 a pop I managed to convince Tyler it was a much better deal.
I love it so so much already.

One Kings LaneI love this site. home decor, kitchen essentials and the occasional set of toys... it has everything I want. I seriously got a ton of the girls Melissa and Doug toys for Christmas from there. plus every time you move you know how you always need something to give your new place a little oomph? or just to fill space you didn't have at the old one? ok maybe that's just me. whatevs. I found some great pieces at wonderful prices and am loving how they've given my mantle and bar area the extra pizzaz it needed.
**heads up, clicking on that link is a referral from me which means if you buy something I get credit for it.

these beautiful bangles from the lovely Kendra Scott

Source: kendrascott.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

basically anything Marley Lilly... monogrammed and adorable? swoon.

Tyler got me their wide brim derby hat in black with a hot pink monogram for Christmas and I am dying to bust it out. but this bag? I kind of need.

Source: marleylilly.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

last but not least... this sign which I'd love to make in photoshop and hang by my vanity.

how perfect is it?

Source: heartifb.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Hey It's OK Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:51:00 +0000

hey it's ok...

to want a vacation to recover from your vacation.

to enjoy my time away but be so glad to be back home with my girls and our dog.

to have finally gotten a shellac mani and to be absolutely obsessed with it. pretty nails that don't chip? win.

to still watch Grey's Anatomy. yes, 8 seasons later and I still like it.

to love wine. and fudge.

which is convenient because we bought a boatload of fudge this weekend.

all kinds of flavors too. it's making my heart smile and my hips wider.

weekend recap

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:44:00 +0000

this whole weekend was an absolute whirlwind!

a dear friend from high school got married {to one of Tyler's school friends... we introduced them about 2 years ago and they hit it off clearly!}

anyway so we left the chicklets with family and took a much needed and long overdue weekend for just the two of us.

it was wonderful.

it was at the trois estate in Fredericksburg, Texas
the resort was beautiful {and a little weird, it totally looked like it could have been the setting in a Criminal Minds episode.} it was so fun to go explore Fredericksburg which is just the most charming town.

this pic is super blurry but it was in the chapel at the estate and completely underground
{plus it had a grotto aka pool in a cave}

poking around Fredericksburg... if we look all glowy it could be because we are madly in love. or maybe because it was hot as hades outside.

Tyler will probably loathe me for this but the entire lodge had these giant taxidermied animals everywhere. and some characters from the set of Aladdin? it was bizarre y'all. funny but bizarre. I nearly judo chopped a wax figure that was posed by my door in the middle of the night.anyway I made him pose with the lion so I could send a picture to Maggie.
this was on the side of the road on the way in to Fredericksburg and it made me think of the bloggess and Beyonce. which if you have no idea what I'm talking about, shame on you. you will laugh until you cry, I promise. {read that story HERE}

all in all it was a perfect weekend. the bride was beautiful and I wish them both all the happiness the world has to offer.

tasty treats thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Thu, 03 May 2012 02:42:00 +0000

We made these avocado fries for dinner last night and seriously y'all they were so so good.

Source: circle-b-kitchen.squarespace.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

They were crispy on the outside, creamy and oh so yummy.

Avocado fries are my new favorite.

the only thing they were missing was some kind of hot something... like a sriracha ranch dip maybe? whatevs just make them and be happy.

a little bit of everything...

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:25:00 +0000

word vomit. enjoy.

Avery's taken up the headband trend...

just like her big sister :)

practicing with a broken headband so graciously given to her by Princess Maggie. ha!

I am loving seeing their relationship develop. sisters. friends.it makes this momma's heart very happy.

Avery's mastered the Capri Sun- straw and all. She loved it!

and, as promised, the beautiful earrings my sweet hubs {and chicklets!} gave me for an early mothers day gift. I love them!!

this post was just kind of everywhere, I am exhausted from today! We took the girls fishing and then Maggie and I spent some one-on-one time together. It was a great day but this momma is worn out!

Hey It's OK Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:52:00 +0000

Hey It's Ok....

to count coffee as a food group.

to be completely obsessed with all things Kendra Scott

{expect a post later this week about my beautiful early Mothers Day presents!}

to have just given up on the "settling in" thing and left the 20+ picture frames on my dining table.

I'll get to it eventually....

to not be an on top of things mom and just realized we didn't have any pictures of Avery hanging in the house.

she is almost 11 months. I am so ashamed.

regardless, situation remedied this weekend. phew!

to already be over the heat and it's only May 1!

I like to keep it spicy

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:10:00 +0000

usually on Mondays I do a weekend recap

but since everything is out of sorts anyway I'm mixing it up this week...

things I'm loving today

the way too adorable sarah kate at dixie creek farm blog recommended

john frieda root awakening shampoo/conditioner

I finally {wayyyy belated I know!} bought some and y'all I cannot tell you how obsessed I am.

I loooooove this stuff.
I genuinely enjoy washing my hair ha!
it smells like peppermint and eucalyptus and deliciousness and gives my fine hair a little oomph and pizazz. it's a good one ladies. and guys?

Wolfgang Puck's Hawaiian Hazelnut k-cups
this is light and flavorful and tastes like summer.
the pretty packaging probably helps that.
but it's good and tasty and pretty.
win

garage sales!

this is my one little bit of {the normal} weekend recap

we had our first ever garage sale.

now I want to have one every weekend.

SELL ALL THE THINGS!!!

but seriously it was so so so much fun.

we met our neighbors, Maggie sold pink lemonade and best of all people actually paid us to buy our crap that we would have just donated to the 'will anyway.

baffling but amazing.

OKC

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:33:00 +0000

arghhhh I had a whole post written and went back to put a title because I forgot and it was deleted.

I'm blaming the new blogger format.

it's clearly the problem not me. right?

***********
we had a busy Wednesday exploring the lovely Oklahoma City.
it was so much fun!

we took the girls to the zoo which was fantastic.
seriously I'm a zoo person and it was one of the best zoos I've been to {excluding the San Diego zoo but really? it's THE SAN DIEGO ZOO}
if you're ever in OKC make the time to go, trust me on this one.
especially if you have kiddos, the childrens area was phenoms.

clearly no one had any fun!

then we went shoppppping.
and Tyler being the sweet hubs that he is {love this man!} took the girls
and I got to shop alone. in silence. it was blissful.
bonus? I found an adorable dress and shoes.

to balance out the day and make the hubby happy we squeezed in a trip to Bass Pro
where Avery insisted on walking everywhere.
she refused to sit in the cart or be carried so I spent the majority of time chasing the two chickies.

it was just a super fun day!
I am loving having Tyler home... when he starts his course I don't know what I'm going to do!

ooooh the girls and I are starting to make friends :)
we have a playdate with this lovely lady, her sweet chickie and some of her friends Monday.
I cannot wait!

boo hiss internet

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:25:00 +0000

Argh once again I am fairly certain the Internet hates me :) We should (finally! Hopefully!) be getting the whole thing fixed today. Wish us luck!! And that no techs get hurt in the process ;) But seriously, I need me some Internet and stat I feel so behind in all my blogs!! And I have 1,001 pictures to post and maybe even a little house tour that I probably shouldn't even show because I still have something like 20+ framed pictures scattered on top of my dining table. And an assortment of serving pieces that I don't have a place for yet on the island of the kitchen. It's a work in progress.

and we're backkkkk

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 01:59:00 +0000

finally, I am back.

we have internet!

fun fact: AT&T internet is the new time warner.

is it to much to ask that I get internet without having to acquire an arch nemesis in the process?

we have been so busy and it has been wonderful.
Tyler and I unpacked 135 boxes in 2 days.
one hundred thirty-five
and the house is completely set up and feels like home.
it feels good, so good.
I'll do a house tour this week, I promise.

the girls are loving the backyard!
I can count on one hand the number of meals we've eaten inside and that includes breakfast.
every meal Maggie requests it to be a "picnic" and who are we to say no?

without question this is my favorite picture of the week.my chicklets, a tutu dress, a rockin headband and no pants on the babywhile big sis drives them around on her Barbie big wheel.they squealed and laughed and shoutedand I smiled until my cheeks hurt.be still my heart.
we also found an amazing park on post.seriously the next time I go I'm taking a picture because your mind? will be blown. it was fun for babies, toddlers and grownups alike!plus it was backed by woods with trails. Tyler and I explored our way down to a little creek.I don't think we are going to like it here at all :)

moving recap

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:27:00 +0000

We had a great weekend! We made the 600+ mile drive in good time with minimal screaming and no major mishaps. The new house is wonderful. It has GRASS!! That might not seem important to y'all but after not having a lawn or anything green for so long, well it just seems like a luxury. Neither Trudy nor Avery really knew what to make of the mysterious green stuff. It was hysterical! The movers come tomorrow {hopefully} and our Internet should be up and running Wednesday. I promise I'll post pics soon.ish

Oooook

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:26:00 +0000

OKLAHOMA OR BUST!
woot!
This momma is ready to get settled and start exploring a new (old) town.
I say new and old because we lived there briefly in 2008 but I'm sure (hoping?) it has changed a lot.
And I cannot wait to be so much closer to family!!
Happy wife= happy life :)

my little tattoo Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:08:00 +0000

way back when... I was 18 and a freshman in college

and while I might have been a little smart I was by no means wise.

so my little momento from my first semester at college?

a poorly done tattoo of a teeny tiny cross on my right foot.

it looked awful. my aunt even asked me if I'd done it!!!

for years it had bothered me and I finally had the time. the courage. and the chance to fix it.

jump on that opportunity I did.

I'd thought about it for a loooong time and I knew rather than "fix" it I wanted something to cover it something for the girls and coupled with the fact that I'm pretty girly a bow seemed to be the perfect choice.

this is by no means the best picture...

{my foot was still swollen and a little bruised}

but I looooove it. it is absolutely perfect and just what I wanted.

week recap.

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie McCall) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 03:36:00 +0000

I know, I know... I haven't blogged in forever

aka a week.

but so much has gone on!

consider this your warning, there will be a whole lot of pictures all over this blog post.

soccer ended. finally.

the highlight of the season? the pizza party and trophy. obvi.

the movers came!and my sweet friend watched both Maggie and Trudy {the pup} Maggie didn't have any fun at all!

she also got a sassy haircut.

fun fact: you know you're a redneck when you have to text your babysitter to bring a lawn chair so she has somewhere to sit. true story.
currently the only "furniture" in our entire house is an air mattress and two cribs.as far as seating goes? the pickings are slim, my friends.
Tyler and I went out with some unit friends one last time.

we had a great time!!

Easter was a blast! the easter bunny brought confetti eggs which the girls adored in the most precious way possible.he also loaded them up with all kinds of fun things to occupy them on the trip to Oklahoma. he's one smart bunny ;)

Maggie had so much fun she wouldn't even pause to smile for a picture :)

oooh and a highlight of my week?finding these treasures at bargain prices!
this huuuuuge chiminea {seriously it goes up to nearly my chest!} for only $40.it's practically like they gave it to me.

and this sweet bench which looks smaller than it is. Tyler, Maggie and I all can sit on it comfortably. I think it will be an adorable little seat for the chicklets.

so that's been our week.good, crazy and perfect.
this weeks agenda?oklahoma or bust!