everyday Stephanie

word vomit

2012-01-26T21:30:00.002-06:00

there's a lot going on in our little house

and wayyyy to much on my mind for me to focus on any one thing.

so word vomit! enjoy :)

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

I'm on track to run the 5K here in early March. I am so excited.

and I know a 5K is nothing compared to a lot of runners

but considering this momma hadn't run in 17 months {?}

I'm impressed with how far I've come in just a month.

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

Tyler got snipped today.

no more babies for this little family.

it was not nearly as an emotional decision as I thought it would be.

we love our little ladies and couldn't be any happier.

we feel so blessed.

Tyler and all his girls... it's the perfect equation for this family.

******************
the PX has recently put these signs up.
"lock your car. hide your things. take your keys."

I can't help but think of Antoine Dodson every. single. time I see them
don't judge me.

******************there have been moments I've questioned our decision to get a dog.like yesterday for example because by 7:15 a.m. I'd already stepped in her vomit. not just once but twice.{mind you we would never give her up, she is family. but that doesn't stop me from threatening her that I'll sell her for lunch meat.}but then I would miss moments like this.and it makes the dog vomit {almost} ok.

happy Friday!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2012-01-24T22:12:00.002-06:00

there's no theme for todays WILW because I love a little bit of everything :)

the new girl

this show cracks me up.

zooey deschanel is hysterical.

if you haven't seen it yet... you probably should

****************
the booksh*t my dad says by justin halpernTyler ~~stole~~ borrowed this from his dad while we were visiting them and it is toooo funny! like made me cry I laughed so hard. it is funny.wildly inappropriate but hilarious all the same.

****************jeopardy~~Tyler and~~ I get pretty competitive about it.ok, just me. I like knowing the answers.it's the small things people.Maggie absentmindedly hums the theme song while she plays... we watch it farrrr too much obvi.
****************Scentsy's bring back my bar scentssome of them are delicious!and to be completely impartial...some of them? not so much. {bubblegum people? really? REALLY?}
speaking of Scentsy...I'm totally behind but I planned to do a giveaway when I hit 100 followers.and to quote the Magpie... holllllaaaa. 102!so later this week I'll be doing a little somethingcheck back to win something kind of awesome.no bubblegum scent included I promise ;)
****************little girls with princess makeup.even better than that? little girls who give their daddy's princess makeup.unfortunately no pictures of that... but it's not for lack of trying.

****************
and other little girls who enjoy quality time in boxes. how cute is this?it was even cuter when Maggie jumped in to join her.love me some sister time!!

what are you loving this Wednesday???

pintervention party!!!

2012-01-23T22:49:00.000-06:00

woooo PINTERVENTION!!!

linking up with the ever fab nicole @ bean blog

for a pintervention party.

I have a few confessions first...

1. I did something fab but messed up all the dates on the pictures in iPhoto and can't remember what project it was that I did. and don't have the time nor patience to dig through 3000+ pics to find whatever it was. don't judge me.

2. I did this craft with Maggie a la pinterest... only I apparently forgot to pin the actual craft. and can't find it now. so I did some serious pinterest searching to find something similar to what I saw. this is close but definitely not it. whatevs.

these are my {false} pinspirations
......the hearts on the branches......

Source: ohsugareventplanning.blogspot.com via Gisella on Pinterest

Source: kraftykat76.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

and this is Maggie's creation/my interpretation....

she glued the paper and artfully placed the glitter

and I cut the hearts out and hung them with little bows

my super easy peasy and cheapy valentines decor!!!
bonus? every time Maggie sees it she tells us how much she loooves her art.xoxo

my drunk kitchen. and a recap.

2012-01-22T22:03:00.002-06:00

Saturday I was so productive that I had
worked out, showered, gotten myself and the girls ready, vacuumed, steam mopped and gone to both Target and Costco...
all by 9:45 a.m.
wait, let me back up.
Avery woke up at 5:30 in the morning charged and ready to go and some days?
you've got to just go with it. so I just did.

that night I had a Mardi Gras themed coffee with my unit ladies {soooo fun!}
and then Tyler and I went out since we had a babysitter anyway.

we found this neat restaurant and had a cab take us {since we were meeting friends later that evening to go dancing!} so the cab drops us off and we walk in only to be told that they were closed... it had been slow that night so they closed early. we didn't want to call the cab again because it was already nearly 10... so we ended getting a ride to Chili's from someone who worked there.
yes, we are that kind of sketchy.

and the night concluded with 5 of us packed into a mini cooper at 3 a.m. driving all over El Paso with the seat belt buckles all in my business.
it was a fantastic night. we had wayyyy too much fun.

the not so fun part? us going to bed at 3:30ish and Avery waking up at 5:30 a.m.
seriously.
by 9:45 Sunday morning? I was feeling less productive and wayyy more stabby.
luckily everyone made it through the day intact and this momma?
is sooooo ready for a good nights sleep!

I wanted a picture of Maggie and myself... she wasn't feeling it.

but the best is when she did this... and accompanied it with a "HOLLAAAA"

and just because this really makes me happy...

my drunk kitchen

"this recipe calls for cooking... which is unfortunate"

{she has like 50 videos. I won't confess to how many I've watched today. I will say my stomach hurts from laughing so hard.}

out of the mouths of babes

2012-01-19T20:40:00.000-06:00

a lovely little ditty from our bedtime story tonight

{we read the night before Christmas}

Tyler: who do we know with a round little belly?

Maggie: ummm... mommy!

and this is why I know I need to work out.

good thing I had already made plans with a friend to run tomorrow morning

early morning at that. no one is up at 5:30

except for this one guy who runs at the same time

& always wears cologne.

weird, right? who puts on cologne to run?

it baffles Angela and myself

and with that... a little cartoon.

praise the Lord it's finally Friday!

Hey It's Ok Thursday

2012-01-18T22:18:00.000-06:00

To do a full face and cute hair only to put on yoga pants and a sweatshirt.

To be so excited that Avery is learning to crawl but at the same time freaking the bump out because ohmygosh she's mobile!

To enjoy playing paper dolls more than Maggie does :)

To looooove childrens books

{maybe not so much reading the same one hundreds of times though!}

To be really excited to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D.

To enjoy lazy nights that include nachos, a beer and Jeopardy.

To laugh hysterically at this Geico commercial every. single. time. I see it

funnnn facts

2012-01-17T21:38:00.000-06:00

the lovely Maggie @ glitz and grammar tagged me in one of these fun getting-to-know-you posts circulating around the blog world.

{side note, her name? it rocks}

basically, you follow the rules to the blogger game and pass them along to eleven other fab blogs.

the rules:

1. you must post the rules.

2. post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. tag eleven people and link them on your post

5. let them know you've tagged them!

my {fun} facts

1. I realized this weekend I get insane headaches if I don't drink coffee almost immediately after waking up.

{and no, coke did not do the trick. it must be coffee}

2. I never never never leave the house without mascara at the very least.

{I look like an albino without it! I seriously look like I have no eyebrows or eyelashes}

3. If I had an entire weekend to myself I'd want to hole up with a massive stack of books and read {uninterrupted} for hours on end.

4. my cure all fix for a bad day? retail therapy.

I know, don't judge me. but something as simple as a new drugstore lippy lip can totally turn my mood around.

5. I went to Baylor and am so so obsessed with all things green & gold & sic 'em.

in fact, I never considered any other university.

one campus visit and I was sold...

Tyler says we can't force the girls to go to any school and that's fine with me

but you know they'll know the only option is Baylor.

6. I'm really weird about having clean floors.
like vacuuming and steam mopping every morning kind of weird.

7. sushi and margaritas are two of my favorite things in life.
with mexican food coming in realllly close behind.

8. I always keep my toenails painted... I can't remember the last time they were naked.
probably never.

9. I am a notorious overpacker. I can't go anywhere without at least two suitcases.
or one if it's large enough to hide a body.

10. I occasionally cheat on coffee with diet coke.
and I totally get it when Maggie says that she "needs diet coke"
because I feel like that ~~sometimes~~ a lot too

11. I can sing every word to Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and I'm not sure if I'm proud or ashamed of that.

and now for Maggie's questions....

1. What is your favorite part about blogging?
I love just getting the chance to get things out there... if I love or hate something this is the perfect medium to say that. plus? I am inherently nosy and reading peoples blogs? I'm getting to know all their business. love it.

2. Who is your celebrity crush?
gerard butler.
love me an accent :)

3. What is your favorite city/place in the world?
is it to cheesy to say anywhere my family is?
yes?
ok then ummm....
I'm not nearly as well travelled as I'd like to be but we went to San Diego a few years back and I thought it was the neatest city. so much to see and do.

4. If you could tell us a time where you helped a stranger the most, when was it?
oh lord, I once hit a crackhead with my car and I'm sure by his going to jail {for the like nine warrants out for his arrest!} he had a warm bed to sleep in.
that was chivalrous, right?

5. If you could have only one magazine subscription for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
real simple. I love it.

6. What is your biggest fear?
snakes/rodents.
ick.

7. What is your guilty pleasure?
wine and Bravo
no doubt about it.

8. Can you recall your favorite childhood memory?
family vacays.
wow, I'm really into the fam thing aren't I?
is this what being a grown up feels like??? ha!

9. Facebook or Twitter?
facebook. I don't do anything exciting enough to tweet about haha
my first tweet was that my house smelled like bacon
it went downhill from there.

10. What is your biggest pet peeve?
tardiness.
I cannot {cannot} stand being late.
or people who are late.

11. How would you sum yourself up in three words or less?
quirky. fun. happy.

and the lucky{?} people I tag are...
{because I'm lazy I'm going to copy Maggie's questions... enjoy my friends!}

sarah kate @ nothing but blue skies
nicole @ bean blog
erica @ fashion meets food
ashleigh @ life as I know it
brittany @ life as the mrs
brandy @ you don't know
chell @ nicely composed
sam @ on the couch
nichole @ nichole's life as a mommy and wife
randee @ randee's organized chaos
connie @ the young and the relentless

weekend recap{ish}

2012-01-16T21:13:00.000-06:00

so I haven't posted {or commented on any blogs!} in wayyyy too long

but for very good reason....

we went home this weekend!

Tyler had a 4 day weekend

and we took the opportunity to go see family.

it was his first time home in close to two years.

so way beyond time.

it was a great weekend but it literally just flew by.

{aside from a few sleepless nights a la the baby who decided that Waco was too exciting to sleep through and instead she chose to holler allllll night long leaving the hubs and I feeling stabby by about 5 a.m. }

luckily I have fantastic in-laws who saved us all from each other and let Tyler and I sleep in far beyond 7

{which is a luxury unto itself}

I am so glad we made the trip!

plus there was Mamaw's famous fudge. worth the trip alone.

this picture at the baggage claim of the ep airport pretty much sums up how we all feel

exhausted.

Hey It's Ok Thursday

2012-01-11T22:56:00.000-06:00

to spend ~~an entire~~ multiple evenings figuring out photoshop again...

and to have only gotten three crappily edited pictures.

to love trying new recipes

but be super disappointed when it looks nothing like the pictures.

to have a serious sweet tooth

and enjoy a piece of chocolate ~~some~~ most nights.

to be seriously obsessed with the UD naked palette eye shadows.

to spend wayyyy too much time youtubing makeup tutorials.

{makeup by tiffany d is my current fave}

to eat hummus like it's about to be discontinued.

to love crafting with the kiddos because I adore coloring. and glitter. and gluing crap.

bliss.

to post a million pictures of my chicklets just because it makes me happy....

I walked in after Avery's morning nap to find them in the crib like this.
it made this momma's heart wildly happy

Maggie's face makes me laugh.

sisters. I love it.

those two little girls are my life.I wouldn't have it any other way.

determined.

2012-01-10T21:52:00.001-06:00

so what we're nearly two weeks into January and I'm just getting around to blogging about resolutions.

I do what I want.

and I really don't do resolutions.

I'd like to resolve to run more and right now I'm on the right track {holla. did I just say that? ew. just go ahead and erase that from your brain for me.} anyway.

but while that's working for me right now... I don't know about 6 months from now.

and I? I'm not big on setting myself up for failure.

so instead here's my list of

hopes... dreams... wishes for 2012

worry less about the house/laundry/stuff that will be there later

&&& spend more time playing dress up
{or paper dolls. or just dance 2ing. or whatever it is my chicklets want to do.}

make more time for the hubs

{outside of the girls. and the dog. and the projects for the house.}

more time for things like...

Scrabble.

at home date nights with fancy dinners after the girls are tucked in.

never leave the house without a spritz of perfume and some shiny lippylip

make a little more time for me each day...
be it taking the time to fix my hair and makeup
or putting together an outfit I feel sassy in.
something that is just for me.

say yes to baking cupcakes with my little sous chef
{extra extra sprinkles being a must}

wear heels more often
just because I feel sassy when I do

be thankful for my precious little girls even when it's hard
{and all I really want is a glass of wine ~~for~~ with lunch}
because they are amazing & beautiful & I am so beyond blessed to be their momma

do my best to treasure the silly every day moments

pintervention party

2012-01-10T07:21:00.001-06:00

linking up with the ever sassy nicole for a pintervention party

I saw this lovely way to organize my makeup brushes...

Source: jengrantmorris.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

but the acrylic container wasn't so much my style

so I found this mock mercury glass container at Marshalls on clearance for $3.50

and sold!

bonus? it matches my lamps.

you can't really tell because my photography skills stink but they are resting in coffee beans so my room smells soooo nice. and it helps keep them "in place"

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

I thought using shower curtain rings on a hanger to organize scarves was genius...

Source: bedifferentactnormal.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

and it absolutely is!

double win? we had a full set of the rings just laying around.

better organized and free? me gusta.

for the record, I don't typically keep my scarves on a hanger just hanging out on my curtain rod :)

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

I saw this recipe for mexican chicken lime soup and it just sounded so yummy...

Source: rachaelraymag.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I made it for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS!!

word to the wise... we like it spicy and it was hot as fire.

next time we'll use half the amount of chiles in adobo that it calls for

{I really need to play a little more in photoshop my original picture was far more appetizing but I, of course, can't figure out where in the bump the original is on my computer.}

baby steps

2012-01-08T23:27:00.005-06:00

I did {a lot} of thinking this weekend

and {a little} blog tweaking...

it's not perfect but for right now?

it works.

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

in other news, we had a great weekend.

we did some projects around the house, grocery shopped and watched a lot of football.

I managed to get up and run Sunday morning

which was so nice.

I just feel better when I run....

plus starting out my day healthy helps me make better choices for the rest of the day!

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

I am dealing with the sickies... I'm pretty sure it's a sinus infection

boo hiss

I am hoping I feel better tomorrow

because if not I might be feeling sort of stabby.

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

a few pictures from our weekend...

Maggie is super into picking out her own clothes.
she wears a lot of tutus and tights. even tutus {like the one pictured here} that are size 6-12 mos.

the love in this picture makes me happy.

please ignore my creeperific expression I was trying to get Avery to smile for the camera
how cuuuute is that hat?!?!

I need to do laundry.

like 4 days ago.

so today? I improvised an outfit using an old, size {or two} too small t-shirt of Tyler's.

I typically wear these to sleep in but you can bet I wore this out today.

momma needs to do laundry.

what's in YOUR name?

2012-01-07T21:42:00.000-06:00

so I've been thinking...

I need a new blog name.

and stat.

I love my name but I what I don't love so much?

having it all out there.

and easy googleable.

{is that a word?}

however I've been tossing this idea around for oh about 6 months now.

and I've got.... nothing.

and now that I'm bound and determined to change the look of things around here I figured I might as well start at the top.

so here's where you come in...

help me.

I need some suggestions/inspiration/something fantastically awesome.

how did you get YOUR blog name.

do you have a lovely idea for mine?

help me.

please?

woohoo

2012-01-06T08:27:00.000-06:00

I finally got photoshop.

and downloaded {no kidding} like 500+ fonts from kevin and amanda

now my goals include learning to use our fancy nikon d50 camera.
baby steps though, right?

first up on that project list is making a new blog header and tweaking the look of things.

we've been super busy around here redoing a bunch of furniture...
I'll post some of the projects we've been working on {ok, Tyler's mostly doing the work but whatev} at Tuesday's pintervention party.

I did finally get around to organizing my makeup.
woo!
yes, this is very exciting to me.

ahhhh organization ♥

and we gave my vanity a little oomph.
it used to look like this but in a dark cherry
cuuuute, right?
we bought it over a year ago from craigslist for $20.

and now it looks like this...

I need to hang the mirror higher but since we'll be moving in a few months...
I'll get it right at the next house :)
oh and I hadn't made my bed and was still in my pajamas when I took this so ignore the awkward arm... nobody should have to see my ~~awesome~~ morning hair

in other verrrrrry exciting news... I've been running!
3 days this week a friend and I have woken up at dark thirty and gone running.
and I haven't died.
plus I've seen two shooting stars.
success.

happy Friday!!

tasty on a thursday

2012-01-04T22:50:00.001-06:00

I'm linking up with rachelle at nicely composed for

tasty on a thursday

earlier this week I made a recipe I saw on pinterest

{via cooking light}

black bean and chicken chilaquiles

oh my word y'all.

it was GOOD.

tyler said it was like mexican lasagna.

he nailed that- that's exactly what it's like.

and I love lasagna... but this? wayyyyy better because lord knows I love me some mexican food.

a few fun facts:

1. it's even better reheated.

2. it's cooking light and under 300 cals per serving

3. it's beyond easy

***here's the recipe with my notes in italics****

Ingredients

cooking spray

1 cup thinly sliced onion {I used an entire red onion***}

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

1 (15 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fat free, less-sodium chicken broth

1(7-3/4 oz) can salsa de chile fresco {like El Pato}

15 6 in corn tortillas cut into one inch strips

1 cup shredded queso blanco {I used monterrey jack}

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken; cook 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; stir in beans. Add broth and salsa to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Place half of tortilla strips in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of chicken mixture over tortillas; top with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Pour broth mixture evenly over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

enjoy!!!!

***the red onion was because we like onion and I had red onions on hand :)

confessions

2012-01-03T22:24:00.000-06:00

I have a few confessions.

and yes, some of them are ~~slightly~~ shameful.

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

I like Nicki Minaj. a lot.

and I may or may not rap along with her in the car.

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

I love the fact that Maggie can sing nearly every word to most of my crappy music.

including tik-tok by ke$ha

fun fact: how proud I am of that particular skill is directly proportional to how ke$shamed Tyler is

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

I've turned into a pod person of myself.

up until about a year ago I loathed vacuuming.

with a pure and unholy passion I despised it.

yesterday I was vacuuming and Maggie asked me why...

I told her "because I love vacuuming"

and then I about fell over because did that really come out of my mouth?

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

I bought a beta fish thinking we'd have maybe a solid two months.

it has been a lifetime.

the fish will not die.

tyler feels the need for me to point out it's probably been about 4 months. but if you were feeding the dang fish and cleaning out it's bowl... it'd feel like a lifetime to you too.

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

I like my house to be clean and picked up at all times.

like if someone were to drop by unexpectedly I would never be embarrassed.

but closets and drawers?

a whole other matter.

they are downright scary.

until Tyler gets a hold of them and then they look nice until I junk them up again.

exhibit A. my closet

and every other closet in our house.

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

I have a deep love for greek yogurt.

and sandwiches.

not at the same time though.

oh and hummus.

delish.

ok, I think that's it for now.

favorites: make me pretty

2012-01-02T21:16:00.003-06:00

the fab nicole and I have decided to make pintervention parties an every other week thing.

mostly because although I am creative... between both girls, the house, the hubs, selling Scentsy, FRG stuff and the other random activities I squeeze in... creating a project a week? well this momma was stretched thin.

so I've decided on the off weeks to do posts of favorites

this week?

things that make me pretty.

I'm on a beauty binge.

humor me.

Conair Infiniti Pro Dryer in Magenta

my old dryer was sparking and burnt hair? not my style.

so a new dryer was in order.

I'd had the same one for nearly two years and it was a quick "run in because I was in a pinch" buy...

I did some research this time and Infiniti had aaaamazing reviews.

I am obsessed.

hope in a jar

holy moisturizing batman!

I have seriously dry skin and this 0% humidity, desert climate was doing me no favors.

I was in Sephora and the lady gave me a sample and I was hooked. at the end of the day my face still felt soft and moisturized but not greasy or heavy at all. looooves it.

Sigma Beauty essential kit

I needed new makeup brushes but wasn't able to{couldn't justify} spending the money on them.

enter sigma beauty.

their brushes have amazing reviews {comparable to MAC} but wayyyy better prices.

I swear my makeup looks better when it's applied with better brushes.

I'm happy.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser

I basically don't have words to describe how much I love this.

I have tried a lot of concealers.

a lot.

{bobbi brown, clinique, covergirl, loreal, lancome, mac}

but this stuff? miracles. it literally erases the ~~awesome~~ dark circles under my eyes.

so there you go.

my current beauty obsessions.

go forth and shop.

this & that

2012-01-01T21:35:00.001-06:00

I feel so scattered lately hence the lack of blog posts.

and with the the hubs being home {love me some block leave!}

I have been relishing our family time.

He goes back to work this week {thursday maybe?} and I'm dreading it.

no more middle of the night poke wars to determine who gets up to give Avery her bottle.

oh yeah did I mention Avery is now completely weaned?

it was a super easy transition and we are all happier for it.

ok just because I'm in a blogging funk

&&& because I'm wayyyy behind on my friday phone dump

my family & other random crap: iPhone style

pre-play group Christmas party.

and we're clearly w.t. everyone's posing by the trash can obvi

the bebe and I at a birthday party this weekend

awesome bounce house hair

btdubs, best. christmas. present. ever.

you know that I am in there at least once a day.

making cookies for Santa.

she did it {almost} completely by herself

pajamas compliments of our Elf

he left them before he peaced out back to the north pole.

doing a test shot for her {overdue} 6 month pics

we nixed that bow in favor of a lacier one.

and maybe the blanket needs some work?

oh and pearls are a must obviously.

the amazing ceiling at the bar Tyler and I visited on my birthday.

it's like one of the top 12 bars in the world as per GQ {don't quote me on that though}

and it was stunning. the dome is tiffany glass....really beautiful.

so there you a go a snippet of my life the last week and a half.

I hope you enjoyed it half as much as I did!

Hey It's Ok Thursday

2011-12-28T21:12:00.001-06:00

To eat my weight in spinach artichoke dip just because it's the holidays.

To eat said dip {and fudge and pie and creamy drinks} and in the same breath bemoan the baby weight that is still hanging on 6 months later.

To still call it baby weight even though it's more like fudge/heavy cream/butter weight at this point.

To be dreading taking down the Christmas decor not because it's a job in itself but because the house is going to look naked.

To love washing my face just because I get to use the clarisonic mia... in pink obvi

{side note I think I'm going to devote an entire blog post to this sucker soon. I loooove it}

To admit to not washing my face with any sort of regularity pre-super awesome face washing tool.

yes, I know that's gross.

and yes, I know I've been genetically blessed with nearly perfect skin

{especially considering the face that I do not take care of it at all.}

To waste more time writing to do lists than actually doing anything on the list.

To write things on my to do list that I've already done just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off the list.

What are you ok with this Thursday?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-12-27T22:52:00.001-06:00

Christmas lights with the family on Christmas Eve

{@San Jacinto Plaza in downtown EP}

being one of the last people to board the Urban Decay Naked train...

I love love love it.

an amazing date night with the hubs to celebrate my birthday

complete with complimentary Mango Colada Pie topped with a sparkler

fancy

we had the most magical Christmas...

family, good food, thoughtful gifts, laughter and lots of good memories!

the not so awesome side?

a plumbing issue... that flooded our bathroom, bedroom and hall.

maintenance was here until nearly 2 a.m.

on the bright side Tyler and I were still up at midnight to ring in my birthday with an amazing present and a funny memory!

all in all it was a lovely two days!

I hope yours was as wonderful as ours.

random crap

2011-12-21T21:20:00.000-06:00

I'm in Christmas overload currently...

scattered by my feet is rolls of wrapping paper and tape, bows, gift tags, scissors, pens, and various wrapping paper bits that have been trimmed and trimmed in a desperate attempt to hide the fact that I can't cut in a straight line to save my life.

I love it.

Christmas= my life

even más exciting? my birthday is the day after... and all the fam will be in to celebrate.

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

I made Christmas place mats for my table.

I have a pretty awesome pinterest inspired idea for them...

here's hoping that I a) get around to it before Christmas actually happens and b) that it turns out as cute as I'm hoping

they're less limey in real life and a little more sagey.

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

I'm loving fancy donuts that make me smile

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

fancy princess girls.

daddy/chicklet bonding time.

two of my most favorite life things

for the record she doesn't have pierced ears-those are press on earrings.
does anyone remember those?
does anyone know how difficult it was to track those suckers down?!
dang near impossible I tell you!

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

ignore the fact that I took a bite of it already...

but these are the cupcakes I made for play group to celebrate Maggie's birthday.

the pink didn't show up as well in this one but it was the brightest most vivid shade.

obsessed.

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

and just because this makes me giggle...

Sunday night I took my girls on a date.

some shopping, the park and a px food court dinner.

Maggie picked what we ate Sarku Japan {chicken teriyaki}

she took one bite... and well this is what she thought

pintervention party {week 5}

2011-12-20T06:00:00.005-06:00

linking up once again with the fab nicole for a

pintervention party

can you believe it? 5 weeks and nearly 10 pinterest inspired projects. I impress myself.

this weeks project was a little something for the chicklets {and the dog}

Source: allfortheboys.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

1 box + 1 strand of Christmas lights = hours of pure bliss

yep, check out her awesome Buffalo Wild Wings tiara.
&&& the zebra pillow I made her :)

{and just for giggles}

Source: sofiasideas.com via Sharon on Pinterest

and last but not least... a code for anyone who wants to link up on your blog.
share the love <3

get the InLinkz code

christmas fail

2011-12-18T22:04:00.001-06:00

a Christmas narrative by Avery

"what? you think this guy is the real deal?

pfffffft sister."

"don't worry I've got this covered"

"well what do you know... it's real.

who would have thought"

"I'm still not smiling for this poser"

**********

in other news... Tyler gets back from hunting {with my dad} in the morning.

and it could not come a minute sooner.

I did the single mom thing for four months- no biggie.

but he leaves for 4 days? and the crap hits the fan.

it was insanity.

lesson learned? he can never go anywhere again. ha!

things I'm Loving Thursday

2011-12-14T23:07:00.001-06:00

my too sweet husband surprised me with an early Christmas present to cheer me up after a rough few days... a super cute phone case from marley lilly

I am obsessed with it and it turned my week around.

so thank you tyler!

*********

my chicklet who knows exactly what she wants.

in this case?

a french braid and leopard bow.

even if it didn't match... some battles? not worth fighting.

*********

new nail polish

{and a crappy home manicure}

OPI "speak for your-elf"

*********

my dear friend, Raquel, and her husband, Nate, who were featured on CNN

{Nate works with Tyler}

they did an awesome story on this sweet couple.

plus? since I know them I'm almost famous, right?

they are the second story form the bottom on this screen shot.

*********

funny moments between daddy and his girls crack me up :)

*********

Avery loving her high chair and her big girl food

{avocado & rice cereal in this case}

*********

sweet sister moments

and Maggie rocking her "princess" outfit

aka my pink velour face washing headband and a summer dress

dec 14.

2011-12-13T23:43:00.000-06:00

3 years ago today a most precious blessing joined our family...

Miss Maggie Claire

{confession: two seconds in and I'm already weepy}

but really how is my baby three years old already?

I could have never imagined how much one little person could bring to my life.

she changed my heart... my priorities.

she made me a momma.

I am so thankful for her every day.

2008.

2009.

2010.

2011.

it's amazing to me to see how much she has changed.

how much personality she has.

I would not trade her for the world.

so today?

we celebrate...

life.

a daughter.

a sister.

a grandchild.

a blessing.

pintervention party {week 4}

2011-12-13T08:06:00.002-06:00

linking up once again with the fab nicole for a

pintervention party

are you on this bandwagon yet?
because you should be.
I am loving how motivated it has made me to actually do a little bit what I am pinning.

today's pin is compliments of the lovely ashley at domestic fashionista
she posted this photo of her Christmas decor and I fell in love.

mercury glass and lace doilies? be still my heart.

Source: domestic-fashionista.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I still really need to find a sparkle reindeer. if anyone knows of one let me know and stat. please.
anyway.
this is my very loose interpretation of the same concept but centerpiece style.
mercury glass christmas trees: target.
metallic embroidered snowflake runner: target
baby tree: hobby lobby
ornaments: target {$5 woot!}

I love it!
of course it now sits on the new dining table but you get the idea.

side note: you should totally check out her blog. she is adorable and I loooove her house.
I have pinned so many ideas {current obsession: her table and chairs. I want the same concept for my own table!}

so link up and join this party!

be inspired.
do something.
post about it.
and let the world know!
{or just me and nicole but whatevs.}

and, if you want the code to share the link up on your page....
get the code here!

I need to blog.

2011-12-11T23:14:00.000-06:00

what's on my mind right now?

I need to blog.

and literally can't think of a single thing to blog about.

so here's some random crap.

enjoy.

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

we finally put our new dining table in the dining room.

the dilemma? what to do with the old one.

we improvised...

we now have a buffet for large parties/craft table for everyday projects

and I need to add more Christmas cards to the ribbon.

and find something to replace the hastily improvised clothespin.

keeping it classy. always

and a semi awkwardly placed portable island which {might} migrate to the closet.

it's a work in progress.

the newest addition to the house

it's for the girls

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

Ty and I went to a Christmas party Friday night and I had the Ft Bliss Holiday Home Tour Saturday night.

I wore heels.

I never wear heels.

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

The view from our house after the big snow.

it finally melted like yesterday.

I wish it had stayed until at least January 1.

I love snow.

in moderate amounts :)

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

and hands down the best part of this weekend?

it was the first day of Tyler's nearly month long leave.

hallelujah sweet baby hay-zues

help with the girls and grown up company?

SOLD.

Hey It's Ok Thursday

2011-12-08T09:20:00.000-06:00

To not sort laundry and rely completely on Shout Color Catcher sheets.

{which btw they work amazing!}

To have a small collection of holiday creamers in my fridge at any given moment.

To believe that oversized sunnies {aka I had a rough night glasses} make you invisible.

To be super excited about Holiday Home Tours

{I am incredibly nosy and I get to poke around a bunch of Colonels and Generals homes. score.

plus? there's wine}

To have a mild obsession with cookbooks.

and still get 99% of the recipes I make from pinterest.

To scrap last night's slow cooker dinner and order Papa John's instead.

To not wash your hair and use dry shampoo for the nth day in a row because it's too cold in my house to deal with wet hair.

favorite things

2011-12-06T21:54:00.000-06:00

am I the only one who hears favorite things and immediately starts to hum My Favorite Things?

love me some Sound of Music

all right.

***********

quite possibly one of my favorite blogs {thanks to my mom for this little gem!}

Suri's Burn Book

synopsis: A study in Suri and the people who disappoint her.

absolutely hysterical.

***********

Glühwein and spiced cookie nights with friends.

something about it just says Christmas.

***********

impromptu snow parties.

and apparently outfits too.

what the bump is going on with my awesome hat and pajama pants. and rain boots.

my eyes. they hurt.

***********

the Silver Bells scent from Scentsy

it smells sooooo good and pepperminty and delicious

-and yes that's a link to my personal site :)

***********

piñatas almost as big as me
and again I'm in pajamas... is that all I wear?

***********

Christmas ornaments.

I love them and constantly see a thousand that I have to have right then or I just might die

lucky for Tyler I restrain myself

but I'm getting antsy to get our family ornaments for the year already!

I love these ornaments from the Jingle Jungle line at Pier 1 but Tyler? doesn't love them ~~as much~~ at all

ah the sacrifices we make

{and yes, I have the leopard one compliments of last weeks ornament exchange but I'd like the others too!}

what are some of your favorite things?

pintervention party {week 3}

2011-12-06T08:46:00.002-06:00

so this weekend and the days leading up to it were downright crazy.

Maggie's birthday party was cancelled. rescheduled. cancelled. and then moved.

Saturday the original day? ended up being beautiful. of course.

Sunday the day we rescheduled for? not so much.

we had a bounce house.

it got used for a total of 40 minutes maybe.

I have like 40 pictures... but not a single one has been uploaded.

17 adults.

16 kids.

did I mention they were IN my house because it was literally pouring rain.

in the desert. it NEVER rains here. but it did for Maggie's fiesta.

praise the lord for a phenomenal cleaning lady because my house was trashed.

insanity.

so with all of that I haven't done much that was pinterest inspired...

but I'm still dying to know what you did!

so indulge me and link up and show me what you've done recently.

please?

my one semi-pinterest inspired goodness came via cupcakes.

along with party mode came a bit of a panic because I? am not an awesome cupcake froster.
thanks to this though I watched a youtube tutorial and my cupcakes were passable.

Source: glorioustreats.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

so don't judge me because my frosting skills could clearly still use quite a bit of work

but what I really got from that was the worlds best cream cheese frosting recipe of all time.
no lie, I had at least 7 people ask me for the recipe.
my tip? sub almond extract for vanilla... it was a last minute spontaneous decision
and I'm 99% sure it changed my life.
I love almond frosting for reals.

Source: glorioustreats.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

oh and something cool? it's snowing. a lot. well a lot for the desert. we've got a solid inch plus.

I have lots of pictures of that too. I'll upload them... eventually.

did I mention we live in the desert? ;)

I think I need to sleep and wake up refreshed

...and ready to get my pinterest crafting on!

so link up.
share with your friends.
&&& come back again :)

coffee group

2011-12-02T08:49:00.001-06:00

one of the things I love most about the military life is the sense of camaraderie.

more specifically my coffee group.

we meet once a month and always have the best time!

last night we had an ornament exchange and a yummy soup dinner.

the wind was insanely blustery {think 50-60 mph}

and soup was the perfect accompaniment.

oh and I always learn the most interesting things.
more specifically the things that my husband tells other husbands...
like that I can have an LDM and get kind of mean. pffft. men!
I get dancy and then kinda mean ;)

{of course, it's all balanced because you know we gossip about the hubs too.
especially now that they're home and the post-deployment glow is starting to wear off.
the ACU's scattered about and random piles of junk? not as cute anymore.}

anyway...
I got this adorable ornament.

even better? I'd totally eyed it at Pier 1 but knew Ty would be like leopard? pfft.

so the fact that I "won it" and "had" to take it home?

the perfect excuse. and I only had to steal it once for it to be mine. woot!

and since I'm on the Christmas tree topic...

our tree is no longer topless!

I made a bow for it.

the tree

and a random slipper. it's whatevs.

ok, now I need to stop procrastinating and start tackling my gigantic list of pre-party to do's!

nonsense

2011-12-01T08:49:00.000-06:00

it's December 1.

you know what that means right?

it's mine and Maggie's birthday month!!!

seriously that was the first thing I thought about when I woke up this morning.

well when I woke up for the 9th time because Avery?

has given up on sleep.

correction- given up on sleep during the night.

because who does that anymore?

me, well I'd like to at least.

I'm currently in an over-caffeinated/sleep-deprived state which leaves me moving a million miles an hour and then I crash- and I crash hard- {typically} at play group.

on the bright side? I'm super productive.

the floors are vacuumed and steam mopped.

dishwasher unloaded and reloaded.

a load of laundry is done.

I've done a cursory clean in the kitchen

and cleaned out the fridge.

and I've only been up for an hour.

Maggie's party is this weekend.

it's changed location/time/date three times.

all within just a couple hours.

EP is under a "severe" weather alert starting today and running through the weekend.

40-60 mph winds, rain {in our little patch of desert? say whatttt?!} and even maybe possibly snow.

so exciting! SO atypical weather for here and now.

it totally put a damper on our outside party that was perfectly planned.

we've revamped and I'm still excited although a bit nervous.

regardless we will be fiesta-ing it up and celebrating the magic that is my amazing {almost} 3 year old.

the one big issue facing me right now?

I am just dying to decorate for Christmas but with 40+ people headed over this weekend and nearly 20 kiddos I feel like that's a bad plan.

plus a Christmas fiesta? I'm not sure that's a concept even I can pull off ;)

so alas I wait. until the day after the party obvi.

and then? it's going to be Christmas all over this house!

it will be all

bows on crack: the Christmas edition

get exciiiiited.

wednesday ramblings

2011-11-30T08:24:00.001-06:00

conversation I overheard while nursing Avery the other night...

Maggie: you happy now?

Tyler: I've been happier.

Maggie: you having fun?

Tyler: not really.

Maggie: me too.

what was it? Maggie. poo. everywhere.

and he said he wasn't having fun. pfffffft.

**********

it's officially Christmas

aka time to break out the "you better not pout" mug

**********

a friend sent me this and it cracks me up every time I see it

**********

I had a night to myself last night...

Tyler stayed home with the girls and I went to a friends and we had Glühwein and spiced ginger cookies while we looked at furniture online and gossiped.

I needed that.

I don't often hang out with friends sans kiddos but I always feel so recharged when I do.

even better? this was our second {third?} week doing this and Tyler {husband of the year here} suggested us making it a weekly thing.

**********

we got our pictures back from the talented Carrie Kukkola

{p.s. she is amazing! if you're in the EP area or San Antonio and need pictures go to her. trust me.}

just a few of my faves

three out of four isn't bad

look at those leg rolls. I die!

blog world, meet my double chin.

so perfectly Maggie

I love this kiddo.

**********

I feel like one lucky lady!

pintervention party part dos

2011-11-28T20:23:00.004-06:00

linking up once again with the fab nicole for a

pintervention party

with the holidays right here I've been using a lot of pinterest inspiration...

like these adorable place mats which I totally interpreted in my own way for our own Thanksgiving table

Source: cottageandvine.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I never quite got around to writing on them but baby steps, right?

{and this wasn't our finished table but you get the idea}

note: I like how the wine bottles from last weeks party turned out so much cuter than they were, right?

I found this printable and loved it...

Source: atsecondstreet.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

crappy picture but it's hung with raffia ribbon over the buffet table we put the food out on... and yes, I tweaked the spacing of the letters post-picture taking :)

I saw this picture and loved the idea of the ornaments on the branches.

Source: thehouseofsmiths.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

lucky me I had ornaments. and sticks. and a vase! it was meant to be obviously.

so yes, this is my {very} loose interpretation of the above picture.

I'm pleased with it.

and even though I've blogged about my wreath inspired from this Pottery Barn moss covered letter before...

Source: firstladyofthehouse.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I Christmasified it this weekend...

using all stuff I had around the house. win!

...and, of course, straightened the M after taking the picture.

does anyone else notice a theme?

I take pictures midway through a project and then neglect to photograph the finished project.

I'm nothing if not half committed ;)

so what are you doing this week?

link and up let us know!!

**And a nifty little link for you to link up on your blog too!!! get the InLinkz code

I love the internet

weekend recap.

2011-11-27T20:44:00.000-06:00

I am in full on Christmas mode. I love it.

This was the first year Maggie was actually old enough to help decorate... this Christmas lovin' momma could not be any happier!!

decorating in pajamas? don't mind if I do!

a quick {semi}family photo sesh was in order obvi.

semi because Avery was napping at this point :)

finished project... minus the tree topper

our topper didn't fit {boo hiss low ceilings!} so we're on the lookout for a new one.

in the meantime we're topless.

yes, I did just giggle at that :)

even Avery's in the Christmas spirit

my guilty pleasure? lemon drop martinis.

Tyler can make an LDM like nobody's business.

as a friend so eloquently put it "it's like lemonade for grownups" yummm!!

and my secret shame? my closet.

don't judge me.

ok, go ahead, I'd do it too.

what's really embarrassing? it went from perfectly organized to this in less than 3 weeks.

it hurts my eyes too.
but not enough to do anything about it obviously.

I hope your weekend was absolutely lovely! and full of Thanksgiving leftovers

which is {in my opinion} the absolute best part of Thanksgiving!!

thankful.

2011-11-22T21:32:00.003-06:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving... a few things I'm thankful for this year.

my two sweet girls

having my husband home!

our new furbaby Trudy

the military... it's provided us with a nice house, a steady paycheck and fantastic insurance

my Keurig coffee maker

seasonal coffee and creamers {gingerbread, peppermint & cinnamon vanilla}

chicken nuggets... because when I'm not in the mood to cook I know that's something Maggie will always eat

cooler weather and the opportunity to wear boots :)

my cowboy boots

this table from Pier 1 which I've wanted for a solid year but just didn't want to spend $400 on... walked into Pier 1 today and they were selling their last one for 60% off! and SOLD!

I just feel blessed this holiday season... I have a beautiful, healthy family. We are happy and blessed beyond measure.

Happy Thanksgiving!

pintervention party

2011-11-22T08:59:00.006-06:00

I am so excited for this!mainly because it inspired me to actually do something.a few somethings actually.it's been a bit of an ambitious evening/morning.
{if you're not sure what party this is check HERE for details and go check out the fabulous nicole to see what she came up with, she is one creative chick so I know it's going to be adorable!!!}

I've been collecting wine bottles
{ok let's be real saving wine bottles}
for a project that I hadn't quite decided on at the time.
I knew I wanted to use them as a Thanksgiving centerpiece somehow.

ok, this isn't finished since I don't have the flowers in them...
plus there will be moss under them,
burlap runners on the table {horizontally not the length of the table}
and place mats, etc...
I'll take a finished pic Thanksgiving day- I promise!

I made this recipe for asiago pork chops and broccoli with a sour cream dijon sauce {but not both on the same night oddly} and it was fantastic!!
I'm not a pork fan normally but these? were phenoms.

and last but not least...

breakfast casserole!

I have no pictures of this yet because it's in the oven as I type this!

{see I was feeling super motivated obvi}
I made the sunshine casserole... hash browns, eggs, sausage and cheese. what's not to love?!

and just because this made me smile....

I hope you were inspired to do something {anything!} from Pinterest this week!!&&& that you feel ~~guilted into~~ inspired to link up here :)

weekend recap.

2011-11-20T20:59:00.000-06:00

Meet Trudy.

she's the newest addition to our little family.

because really? 2 littles weren't enough to take care of ;)

really though she's a sweetie. and just the absolute perfect dog for our family.

she's a shepherd/boxer mix {aka mutt!} about 3 years old

house trained and she can sit and shake hands {paws?} on command.

her name was Rain but if we're being honest she's a bit homely {in the most lovable adorable way} and she needed something not so boho :)

Avery was a little supermodel

Maggie insisted I drive with her cat ears and "rawrrrr" ever few seconds the entire drive from the PX to our house.

{rest assured that I took this while at a stop light}

sassy, right?

we also... did some Christmas shopping, went to a birthday party, got the ingredients for our *Thanksgiving shindig and took quite a few walks.

side note: who had the brilliant idea to host a Thanksgiving dinner at our house and then not a week later a giant 3rd birthday celebration for Maggie at the same house? oh and throw a dog into the mix. can you say insanity?! I'm pretty sure the next two weeks will be comprised of cooking and cleaning only.

it's worth it, right? :)

friday phone dump

2011-11-18T08:39:00.000-06:00

date night with the hubs.

at the garden

and a spontaneous fashion show? perfect night.

pomegranate mojito

my new jogger! loves.

check out that tooth!

{and even with my finger all up in her business she's still smiling}

my boots ♥

the oldest and youngest of the play group babies.
Lindsey {L} is 8 months
Avery {R} is 5 months

Iraqi diet coke
"coca cola light"

I was clearly impressed enough to take multiple pics haha

my cutie leopard nails

happy weekending!!

christmas card love

2011-11-17T08:33:00.001-06:00

I am absolutely obsessed with tiny prints. If you haven't checked out their site, you need to.

We did family pictures yesterday and I, of course, spent a solid hour on the computer last night browsing Christmas card options. There are so many and they all are pretty stinkin' adorable if I may say so myself.

I love the holidays and to me the whole picture taking + Christmas card sending thing? the perfect way to kick off the season :)

plus we've got a whole lot to be merry about this year. new baby? check. husband home? check.

The one hard part?

Choosing just one!

It's totally ok to send out 4 different cards, right?

A christmas card and an ornament?

I'm pretty sure I know a few g-parents who would love this :)

simple, bright & festive? win.

I think for the most part I'm really loving something classic and simple this year a la this one

of course, I didn't post the one I actually chose... can't give it away yet obviously :)

So that's it. I'm pretty much a tiny prints addict. It's cool though, Tyler's ok with it and hello cute Christmas cards in the mailboxes of pretty much everyone I know? Win.

**yes, this is a sponsored post but I legitly love tiny prints so it's cool, right? ;)

pintervention.

2011-11-15T13:40:00.002-06:00

stop pinning.

start doing.

I've found myself pinning ~~lots~~ hundreds of ideas but actually doing them?

well let's be honest it just wasn't happening.

so in a {semi}desperate attempt to motivate myself the fabulous nicole and I are hosting a

pintervention stop pinning and start doing link party.

so the plan for this week?

let pinterest inspire you.

go do something.

...and then come here next Tuesday {november 22} and brag about it.

link up whatever you want....

tried a new recipe? made a fab wreath? or even sported an outfit you pinned {has anyone actually done this? I've pinned like 50 outfits... and not replicated one!}

just don't leave nicole and I to pintervention party ourselves!

join us in the fun. please?

happy happy happy

2011-11-13T20:59:00.000-06:00

So Saturday my chicklets and I got all dressed...

to welcome home TYLER!!!

{all caps for extra enthusiasm natch}

I have never been more delighted to find a pair of dirty ACU's laying about.

and the very best part of all? he is home for good.

please excuse a lack of posting/commenting this week as we are still getting used to having a boy in the house again. and I think he's {slowly} getting used to the crazy amounts of pink, glitter and squeals that are found in a house with three chicks :)

friday phone dump

2011-11-10T23:33:00.000-06:00

the post of a thousand pictures.

be forewarned.

she's really into being a witch. and wielding my broom about the house. there have been many, many near misses.

Maggie the princess/cowboy/Baylor/pajama party edition

happy baby... who finally has a tooth!

we have a sitter!

I get dressed!

sometimes!

she feels sassy obvi.

check out that table... play group is fun!

********

{and this just cracked me up}

my friend posted this on fb. the local PTA is selling these

please note the third square down

that's my kind of PTA ;)

Hey It's Ok Thursday

2011-11-10T00:02:00.001-06:00

To already be listening to holiday music on Pandora {what? it makes me feel festive and cheery!}

To have more pairs of shoes in the gigantic shoe basket by the door than I do in my actual closet.

To love and totally get the "I love yoga pants because I'm too lazy for real pants" commercial {seen HERE}

To be on a healthy cooking binge... to justify my lack of working out lately.

To love my ultra girly little big girl. Princesses, pedicures and tutu dresses? loooove it.

To think that a pumpkin scone and a 100 calorie bag of popcorn is a perfectly acceptable dinner for myself... but have no issue with insisting Maggie finish her fruit cup because it's good for her.

To use the car as a means of getting the chicklets to nap. A nonfat latte, some Ray Lamontagne and two sleeping kiddos? A good afternoon in my book.

To still wear a pair of old over-sized sorority sweatpants from my college days.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-11-08T22:08:00.000-06:00

the fact that so many of my friends husbands who were in Iraq got home last night. and for good! My heart is bursting with happiness and joy for them. {and not going to lie, I'm ready for my turn now!}

{taken from his units facebook page}

my friend Raquel's awesome home manicure. as soon as I can get my nails to stop breaking at literally everything {I broke a nail on my wallet for goodness sake!} she's doing mine. pretty excited.

"llama llama red pajama" by Anna Dewdney

my little rock star

baby peacoats. in green. adorbs.

& of course the sweet baby wearing it!

cooler temps! woooooohooooo!!

musings

2011-11-06T21:00:00.000-06:00

the last couple weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions.

extreme highs and some extreme lows as well.

It's been hard to stay positive and be super fun mom.

because sometimes?

I just want to sit on the couch in my pjs and cry.

life isn't fair.

and even though I'm a "grown up"

that's a lesson I'm still learning.

& learning to accept.

on the bright side? I know things will turn around.

the things I wait for won't make me wait forever

{even if it feels like it at times!!}

so to combat my "I just want to grump and mope around" moods

I've been busting out the fun with the girls.

extreme finger painting parties? all over it.

park dates? check and check.

dinners with friends and kiddos? done.

breakfast dates and crafts for the littles? stat.

shopping and a little mall park fun? of course.

I'm constantly reminding myself that life is one giant ebb and flow.

increases and decreases.

and I'm doing my best to make sure my chicklets and myself just enjoy it all.

********

things I'm enjoying...

sisters in matching outfits.

the perfect sign for Maggie

cutie matching hats

OWLS? I die.

baby eating her first food: carrots.

and it was like shark week on our kitchen table.

she was frenzied. girlfriend loved it.

big sister picks out her own clothes

and the coordinating mardi gras beads naturally.

hope your week is lovely!

wooooo Friday

2011-11-03T23:47:00.000-05:00

Good things are happening in the McCall household.

There is much celebrating going on!

I am so delighted that it is Friday...

I have a babysitter for the girls and I'm taking the afternoon off!

I have some things to get done for next week

&&& am squeezing in a kiddo-free lunch with a dear friend for good measure.

I know this is a silly {vague} post but I just feel happy!!

*******

Since I haven't posted anything from pinterest this week I feel the need to do so now.
enjoy!

story of my life

life lessons

does this explain my Target obsession? ;) HA!

some days I feel that I should print this and hang it in a highly visible place!

Hey It's Ok Thursday

2011-11-02T23:53:00.000-05:00

To procrastinate on folding and putting up clean laundry.

for a solid three weeks.

that's what pack & plays are for right?

To be slightly more afraid of the dark than my three year old.

whatevs. some spooky things you never outgrow.

&&& I've watched too many Criminal Minds episodes.
on that note....

To sleep with a light on in every room of the house.
except said three year olds because she likes it completely dark.
is she even my child?

To be too obsessed with Siri the iPhone 4S personal assistant.
she is hysterical!

To have to force myself to enjoy the now instead of counting down the days until the next big thing.

To know that morning snuggles with my girls on the couch in our pjs is hands down my favorite time of the day. add in a cup of coffee {one sweet-n-low and a dash of creamer} and I have pure perfection.

To be really excited about Thanksgiving and knee deep in menu planning!

working woman?

2011-11-01T21:33:00.001-05:00

If you've ever been to my house you would know that I have a ~~slight~~ major obsession with the way it smells. You know how every house has a smell? Well I have a phobia of having a stinky house... and not knowing it.

I'm just a scent person.. my favorite smell in the entire world is the one outside a laundry room {is that weird? whatevs} I'm not sure why but I just love it. and the smell of home? there's nothing better.

Living the military life we move a lot so our home is sometimes only ours for a bit and it doesn't always look the way I want it to look. The one constant I can count on is it smelling homey and inviting. And with two little ones I always want my house to smell nice {eau de spit-up is NOT working for me!} but with the two chicklets I am too nervous to use candles. I absolutely blame baby brain for my leaving a candle lit overnight once!

Scentsy was the perfect solution- my house always smells amazing and I don't have to worry about it. Plus the warmers? To. Die. For.

One of a ton of warmers to choose from!

I'd heard about Scentsy but had never used it or to my knowledge known anyone who used it until about 6 months ago. My mom actually bought some and sent a warmer and a few bars my way- I was quickly hooked! It didn't take long and I was a Scentsy fiend.

We keep a plug-in warmer going nearly 24/7 in Maggie's bathroom.
I was under the impression that little girls were sugar & spice & everything nice ;)

.... by now you can probably see where this is going because I now sell it! I'm pretty excited.

Just click HERE and you can buy online and have it shipped directly to your house.
I also have a link up on my sidebar :)

I just wanted to let everyone know because
A. I think that's how this whole business works :)
B. They make fantastic presents {hello, holidays! that's how I ended up here.}
C. I'm pretty stinkin' excited.

I really love all the Scentsy products... and for as much as I was buying it for myself and my friends/family it just made sense for me to sell it.

A Scentsy Buddy- how presh is this!?

And they even have a line of perfumes now! Among a bunch of other great products...scent packs, fragrance foam, scent circles, travel tins, and room spray. All of which can be bought online and shipped directly to you. Plus there are clearance items. My first Scentsy purchase was a full-size warmer from the clearance section, no lie. I love that thing!

If you have any questions don't hesitate to shoot me an email or browse the site and see what's available!

Oh and I promise not to continually sell it to you via my blog... but since this is a new project I had to blog about it obvi. but there might be a giveaway or two here and there :)

Things I'm Loving Tuesday

2011-10-31T23:35:00.000-05:00

so after nearly 6 hours of pure ~~hell~~ insanity I am now the proud owner of an iPhone 4S.

I loooooove it.

for the record, I love love love Apple.

AT&T? not so much.

********

Have you seen 2 Broke Girls? if not change that and quickly.

it cracks me up.

********

I am loving Cooking Light's Fresh Food Fast cookbook

particularly the ginger lime beef stir fry, asiago-crusted pork chops and the seared sesame tuna.

yum! I am loving everything about this cookbook!

everything I've made has been delicious, fast and super easy to make!!

********

we had a wonderful Halloween...

friends came over and we took all the kiddos trick or treating.

Maggie rocked her tooth fairy outfit and Avery was a sassy Baylor cheerleader.

they were adorable!

after we went around the area we came back and handed out candy...

Maggie said that was her favorite part :)

big news.

2011-10-31T00:10:00.003-05:00

We had a super eventful weekend.

Well for me it was at least....

I left the girls {both of them} with a sitter for the first time.

It wasn't my first time to leave Maggie obviously but it was for Avery and not going to lie it was hard.

but I am so so glad I did!

I had the sitter lined up for Maggie and last minute {really, really last minute like 30 minutes before} thought I'd give leaving Avery at home a shot. the previous plan? take her with me obvi.

the sitter was great with it- which btw, looove her. I totally found her on sittercity which is like the craigslist of childcare but she was legit. and I had a background check on her. plus fab references. and oddly enough? one of my closest friends happens to know her- the military world is a small one! anyway she was fantastic and Maggie adored her. she actually cried the next morning when she realized Miss Stephanie {yes same name!} wasn't here. cute, right?

I was a little nervous to leave baby A because although she's taking bottles {kind of} from me she had never taken one from anyone else.... she did great! and I had so much fun!

a happy hour with my 2-29 ladies was just what this momma needed.

plus 6 hours of alone time? I hadn't had that in months. like 6 months. for real. I always have one chicklet or another with me at all times so it was super relaxing!

when I got home I got to skype with Tyler {another wooho moment for that night!}

and he asked me if I'd been drinking- I was so giggly

but it was totally a

I felt more relaxed and just excited at the little bit of freedom I had kind of thing.

I just felt recharged.

lesson learned: even momma's who love their chicklets more than life can use a break every now and again.

we also... Fall Festival-ed, took lots of naps, had an impromptu Halloween party at our house and spent nearly an entire day in our pajamas.

it was good.

and for the record? find you some freshie's lemon drop mix

you will not be disappointed. aaaamazing. ;)

that's what it's all about!

2011-10-27T21:43:00.001-05:00

play group Halloween party

we were a cat, an 80s girl and a duck...

although the duck was stripped of her costume because it was hot as Hades in the ball room

Maggie looks distressed here. Stop playing to take a picture with mom and sister? pfffft. no thanks.

yes, I was one of like two moms who dressed up.

is it sad that I had all of this in my closet?

well except the leg warmers. I stole those from Maggie.

flashback to Maggie in this costume here

she wasn't fond of the hat.
ok, the entire costume. hence the pissed off look.

it was a good day and lots of fun.

we ate wayyyy too much Halloween candy and danced the Hokey Pokey until we couldn't shake it all about anymore.

Maggies second Halloween costume came in today.

&&& because I wanted her to wear it today and get lots of use out of it....

we're having an impromptu costume party tomorrow night.

I'm pretty excited.

Hey It's Ok Thursday

2011-10-26T23:10:00.000-05:00

To love dressing up for Halloween just as much as the kids. Or even more so.
To be so excited for the cool front coming in today that I bought the stuff to make s'mores {oven style but it works!}
To base your coffee on the seasons... pumpkin spice and gingerbread? don't mind if I do.
To get a little snotty about play group. It meets 3 days a week, every week.... there are about 10-12 regular families. But days when we have special events? all of a sudden there are like 40+ kids and 75% of them you've never seen before... and don't see until the next "super fun" event. irritating.
To love wearing heels and feather boas around the house to play princesses with my chicklet.
To eat a low cal dinner...and then completely negate it with some Sonic ice cream :)
To be completely and utterly obsessed with Pinterest. I need help.

pfffft

2011-10-25T22:51:00.002-05:00

I have no blog motivation.

I'm just at a loss of anything interesting to say.

So.... just some random thoughts.

********

I've been sleep walking. a lot. like waking up to something weird only to realize it's Avery kicking me. I need to put up a baby gate so I can {maybe} wake myself up.

********

I am absolutely obsessed with this pumpkin cake.

two ingredients and incredibly delicious? SOLD.

********

I love the Army life...

maybe not so much the deployments but you have to take the good with the bad.

I never thought when we moved here back in 2008 that I would love it here as much as I do.

When Tyler comes home and we get orders for our next duty station I will be sad to leave...

my house, the play group and most importantly my friends.

I never imagined I would make the friends that I have.

One of my close friends is moving in a few weeks and her daughter and Maggie are BFF's.

I know Maggie will be sad too and I'm so not ready for them to leave yet :(

********

I think Goldie, our fish, is about to kick the bucket.

He {she?} has been hanging out listlessly at the top of his {her?} bowl all day in a manner most unusual.

I had to call my mom and plot out a way to sneak in a replacement Goldie just in case.

Toddler/preschoolers? smarter than you think.

I hope I can find a Goldie lookalike, if not we're in trouble.

********
I am loving planning Maggie's 3rd birthday party!
it's a....

I am knee deep in all kinds of fun...
invites, streamers, games & food!
it's her last birthday in El Paso {the city she was born!} so we're going big or going home.

and what a perfect city to have a fiesta in... there are piñatas galore and all kinds of perfect decorations to be found at some of the most crazy fun stores!

craftastic

2011-10-24T22:22:00.002-05:00

so I'm feeling pretty proud of myself.

I found an inspiration picture I loved,
made the trip to Hobby Lobby to get the supplies.
actually came home with everything I needed.

and then did it.

better still? I liked what I did.
I'm feeling pretty accomplished. obviously.

the inspiration:

Source: None via Stephanie on Pinterest

what I did:

it's not perfect by any means... I need to readjust the height/centering of the M but I like it.
I would have done it right then but the girls? were so over my crafting.
so tomorrow... hopefully.

ignore the chalk paint on the sidewalk.

we had friends over this morning and they covered my entire driveway in sidewalk paint.

and the walkway.

and the storch.

we all had fun.

and just because two pics that make me happy.
my girls and the giant daddy bear

Maggie got a princess castle tent.
so she had to put on her tutu dress, heels and tiara.
obviously.
she loves it.

weekend recap.

2011-10-23T22:08:00.000-05:00

I'm slowly sprucing up our storch... check out the latest addition: chair, meet blog.

Friday night Tyler's battalion hosted a Trunk or Treat.

Maggie's tooth fairy costume won't be in until Monday so she was a cat. sassy.

and check out her makeup. a huge shout out to Loreal Infallible eyeliner!

if it can last all night on a toddler than it can outlast anything I put it through.

Avery's two costumes {a mouse and a duck} were both to warm so she sported Maggie's old Baylor cheerleading uniform.

Maggie wore this when she was about a year old. click here for those pics

Avery is 4 months.

&&& she was Hulking out of it.

for real.

the bottom part buttons and I had to leave it undone and it kept scooching up showing off her buddha belly. adorbs.

**yes, I look rough we barely made it out the door and I was still wearing my workout clothes from earlier. and Tyler's t-shirt at that :)

We did pumpkins Sunday.

We have a cowboy and a monster.

for some reason I forgot to buy a kit for the third?

he'll be a pirate... eventually.

Avery joined in at the last second to help.

fun was had by all.

Sunday afternoon we met friends for our weekly Sunday dinner and spent a few hours at the park.

not too bad.

save for a spectacularly craptastic Saturday {that's a whole other story though!}

it was a wonderful weekend!

friday phone dump

2011-10-20T23:25:00.002-05:00

I take a lot of iPhone pictures.

I pretend that it's for Tyler but really? I just like my chicklets. I'll keep them I guess.

check out her rolls.

she had her 4 month well baby yesterday.

14 lbs 7 oz

3 shots and an oral vaccine. took it like a champ.

Maggie got a slushie as a reward for being awesome.

post sloppy joe & chocolate cupcake dinner

she didn't like it at all. obviously.

I'm not 100% sure what she was looking at here.

sisters.

♥

fyi: Maggie's into picking out her own clothes.

pink/purple leopard tights and a pink/orange/brown sweater dress? why not.

ahhh and this gem?

her tooth princess outfit more commonly recognized as the tooth fairy

the pink velour headband that I use to wash my face has been elevated to princess tiara status

I'm not sure how the baby doll factored into this pic.

oh and you can see her slushie on the table behind her

not ten minutes later and two outfit changes from the last picture...

she was in her alternate tooth princess outfit.

and clearly feeling quite sassy.

this is how we water the flowerbeds.

but not the yard. obviously.

we like to keep it ~~classy~~ trashy.

whatevs. don't judge.

and check out Avery's {blurry but hysterical} facial expression.

I swear we don't live in the ghetto.
it just looks like it.
it's actually {fairly nice} on post housing.
but with two girls, a fish, a house and myself? well the lawn was the first to go.

happy weekending!

Hey It's OK Thursday

2011-10-19T23:03:00.000-05:00

is it really Thursday already? I feel like this week has flown by! I am praying that the next few weeks fly by too... we have some exciting things headed our way!!

To listen to really crappy rap/pop music. and then be embarrassed when your not quite 3 year old asks for a specific song: "look at me now" {if you're Maggie it's "look at me now I'm gettin' some paper"} "what's my name" or "hey ya" we like to keep it classy obvi.

To be super impressed that said chicklet can hear a song once and remember the specific words to it. and by impressed I mean mildly horrified... what all has she listened to that I didn't even think about?!

To live by the motto: as long as there's no blood I'm not going to intervene. meaning sure the kiddos may be wailing on each other, but if they're not bleeding or broken my friends and myself take a hands off approach.

To plan weekly menus, make a super detailed grocery list and then head to the store only to forget said list and buy a bunch of random crap that doesn't go together to make a meal thereby necessitating at least two more trips int he same week.

To justify a mild caffeine obsession with the rationale that it's only 2 cups in the morning and a diet coke {or two} throughout the day...only to realize that those two cups of coffee? the equivalent of a normal persons entire pot of coffee.

To think it's hysterical when your little chickie wants to play "king burger" and you have to sit in the chair while she pretends to order "a bok bok, french fries and a diet coke. please" I clearly need to lay off the meals on the go for her and the diet coke for me ;)

To be so thankful for renewed motivation and a determination to conquer the skinnies. I'm back to walking daily {3-4 miles} and Shredding most days if not every day. I am just feeling all around better!

mmmmm food

2011-10-18T23:01:00.000-05:00

lord knows I love me some pinterest and I've found some of the best recipes there. I have made at least two new recipes a week that I've pinned. here are a few I'm wanting to try...

chicken & dumplings

Source: myrecipes.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

chicken tortilla soup... the start of fall/cooler weather just makes me crave soup!

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

chicken enchiladas with green chile sour cream

Source: letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

cajun chicken pasta compliments of the PW

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

and I'm just dying to make these for a party... fall acorns made from: donut hole, pretzel stick, nutella and chocolate sprinkles. I think the kids would love them. ok and maybe me too!

Source: graciousrain.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

do you have any recipes that just scream fall to you? send them my way please. xoxo

Target, I love/hate you

2011-10-18T10:06:00.001-05:00

I took Maggie to the CDC yesterday. it didn't go so well. she cried. a lot. Avery and I on the other hand? had a lovely time, we napped.

I felt bad so I asked Maggie what she wanted to do, she said "let's go to Target" she is my child.

we went for no reason other than she wanted to go. and I still spent over $75. what is it with that place?

I got Maggie some cute clothes: a few sweaters and leggings, a rug for the entryway {on clearance for only $13.48!}, a pink pumpkin basket for Maggie and the supplies to make BOO baskets for the neighbors!

We had so much fun... we loaded up the stroller and BOO-ed two of our neighbors! Maggie was an expert sneak and she really had a great time. Not going to lie, so did I!

our BOO baskets

and just for no reason other than I can...

my little fashionista

pj top, tutu, heels and a sunhat. sassy!

{dinner with friends}

I love having good friends who love on my girls.

Kelsey is my friend Jennifer's daughter and both my girls simply adore her!

am I the only one who goes to Target for one thing {or nothing!} and inevitably spends at least $50?

double post

2011-10-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

I know, I never post twice in one day but I'm too excited about this.

Have you heard of the Erin Condren life planners? {if not what rock are you hiding under??} everyone I have talked to {or read their blogs} swears by these things!

I have been coveting one but at $50 just couldn't quite do it yet.

Enter today's Zulily** email... a gift card to ErinCondren.com $25 for $50 of merchandise. It's valid toward any of her merchandise {excluding her line of iPhone covers which are coming out this week I think!} she has all kinds of crazy great stuff... Christmas cards, stationery, lucite trays {those are super cute too!}, invitations, address labels... seriously it's all super cute!!

soooo basically I got the planner I wanted for only $25. it's like they gave it to me.

I was pretty excited because lord knows I love a good deal! and if I was going to spend the money anyway I'd much rather spend the half off money!

**to be upfront if you sign up through my Zulily link and purchase something I get a $15 credit. I don't want anyone to think I'm being sneaky! In all honesty though I blogged about this just because I am sooo excited- it's a really good deal! I bought the voucher and ordered the life planner in no time!

BURNNNNN!

2011-10-16T21:45:00.003-05:00

please tell me you've watched "That 70s Show" and caught the reference in my title. no? apparently only Tyler and I watch it and still laugh even though we've seen nearly every episode.

anyway. so a little back story:

my sister waited tables at bdubs and in a fluke TA.BC incident got fired today. {sad day, right? poor girl was devastated. she loved her job and the people there!}

so I, of course, spent a good part of my morning consoling her on the phone and convincing her to get a pedicure because what better way to cheer yourself up than with a little pampering?

side note: this morning the sweet hubs sent me a gift certificate for a facial and massage. have I mentioned that I love that man?

so back to the story... the girls and I were driving around looking for patio furniture today for the storch but apparently it's seasonal. do the stores around here not realize that we are in El Paso aka the hottest place next to hell? and that the only time you actually might want to be outside in a rocking chair is about now because lord knows you'd just cook if you tried to sit outside in the summer.

where was I? oh yes so we're driving around and this is the convo I had with Maggie... for the record Aunt T is my sister.

Mags: pooooor Aunt T. poooor Aunt T. she burned.

Me: what? Aunt T isn't burned.

Mags: yes momma, she burned. pooooor Aunt T.

Me: no baby, she's not burned. she's fine.

Mags: she burned. she fired.

Me: oooooooh {here's where I realize what's going on} no babes she didn't get burned. fired is when the boss, who is like the momma of where you work, tells you they don't want you to work there anymore.

Mags: she not burned? nice.

so all is well with the world

{sans the rocking chair business}

my sister isn't burned

and Maggie is happy now knowing that her Aunt T isn't on fire.

things that make me laugh

2011-10-15T22:49:00.001-05:00

So Sarah Kate over at Nothing but Blue Skies blogged about being the last person to know you could track your blogs stats. She's a liar. As it turns out I'm the last person to know. So I followed her directions {the next bit is straight C&Ped from her blog} "if you click on your Stats button and then click on Traffic Sources and scroll down to the bottom of the page, it'll give you a list of things that people type in on Google that lead them to your blog."

People google some crazy stuff... particularly some of the stuff that brought them to my blog. here are a few that made me say hmmm....

ice cream choice is justice!
I felt the exclamation point there was necessary to include because whoever searched this and ended up here... well they were clearly passionate about their ice cream. I get it. I love ice cream too.

costco sugar coated waffles

I get this one. I've blogged about these suckers because they are dee-lish-ious! for the record they are Julian's Vanilla Waffles.

there's something about mary hair
ahhh what a good movie. I love that googling that brought someone to our little bit of life. we like to keep it classy obvi.

and my personal favorite...

i love crazy hoes
I wish I was kidding... I have no idea how this relates to my blog in any way but it makes me giggle nonetheless.

moving on. you know I love my girls and hearing my little one bust a gut? it's right up there with finding the perfect pair of jeans at somewhere like Goodwill for, oh, 50 cents. {and yes that has happened. hello, 7's that fit me like a glove. a very expensive glove that was made just for me.}

please ignore the storage containers of clothes behind her. I had just pulled some winter clothes for the girls out of our outside storage closet and they hadn't made their way into the house yet. or still. they might still be outside. that's ok though... right?

oooh yes and this weeks pumpkin recipe?

pumpkin cookies with caramel frosting.

go make these now.

they are phenomenal. I made about 4 dozen and sent them home with a few people... I was craving a pumpkiny treat but again I'm dead serious about operation skinnies over here so I made and gifted these in just a couple hours. I had a few {you can't eat just one they are sooo good} and loved them but wasn't sure what anyone else would think. they were a hit! they didn't last long at anyone's house.

so trust me make these. love these. and make again.

Source: letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Hey It's OK Thursday

2011-10-12T21:55:00.001-05:00

I'm linking up with Neely at "A Complete Waste of Makeup" for "Hey, It's Okay Thursday!"

To be way too excited about the girls Halloween costumes. tutus galore? I think yes.

To be almost as excited about my own costume. once again I say, tutu galore? check. yes, I am wearing a tutu. it's the only reason I dress up.

To be obsessed with all things pumpkin currently. decorating, baking and patches, of course.

To love all pumpkin desserts even though it's in direct conflict with **operation: skinnies.

To really be liking the new Two and a Half Men even though I'm not loving Ashton Kutcher in light of all this cheating business. {Demi Moore vs. Sara Leal? no comparison.}

To be obsessed with Wii Just Dance 2... dancing with Maggie to Hey Ya and Viva las Vegas {among other classics} currently tops my favorite things ever list. we've got some pretty sweet moves. be jel.

To wear my hair in a braid a la Lauren Conrad every day because I have an awkward bang thing going on right now

Source: thebeautydepartment.com via Sharon on Pinterest

What are you ok with today?

**operation: skinnies is the new plan to lose the 25 lbs of extra baby weight that's currently hanging on to me for dear life and get me back into clothes that aren't stretchy or 5000 sizes bigger than I was pre-pregnancy.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-10-11T21:24:00.000-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with pinterest... I adore browsing and marking ideas and recipes but I always seem to find a thousand things I'd love to do.

I have started a few projects and haven't yet had the time to finish them and then there are a few that I am so anxious to begin.

anyways WILW: the project edition

I started a variation of this two weeks ago... I have the burlap framed but I still need to purchase the drawer pulls. baby steps, right?

Source: onewomenshaven.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I think this would be fab in my house... and super easy too!

Source: lifeasthemrs.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I have a coffee table that is halfway here... it's ready to go with the top removed. and has been for about 6 months. ha! procrastination much?

Source: sabbyinsuburbia.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

I love this rose wreath... can you believe it's made of cardstock?

Source: people.virginia.edu via Stephanie on Pinterest

I really want to do this to commemorate all the places the Army has taken us. I've seen variations of this but they really weren't my style and while I liked the concept I felt the execution was... lacking {at least for my home.} but this? I can get on board with.

Source: manditremayne.blogspot.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

really could I waste any more time on pinterest? I think not. it's my favorite "after the girls have gone to bed" hobby.

goldie.

2011-10-10T22:08:00.002-05:00

We have a new addition to the fam.

we needed a pet and lord knows I couldn't handle a puppy. 2 kids and a dog? I'd never shower again. and I'm not a cat person. so a fish it was.

I let her choose.... the fish, the tank {bowl}, the "house" {we needed a castle in case something ever happens we can always just tell her the fish is sleeping in its house} and the plants and rocks.

and yes the bowl is basically an oversized brandy snifter.

meet goldie.

in other news we finally busted out the exersaucer.

Avery loves it.

well when Maggie is not hitting the teapot to make the music play which scares the pants off Avery.

seriously when did the bebe start getting so big?!

tomorrow is pajama day at playgroup... I might be more excited than Maggie.

Oh and my life lesson for the week? always take a grocery list.

otherwise you might come home with 6 {yes SIX} cans of pumpkin.

I've been a pumpkin baking machine!

So until I've used my pumpkin you'll get a pumpkin recipe a week. get excited.

This week's recipe is....

**pumpkin crunch cake**

weekend recap.

2011-10-09T21:54:00.000-05:00

Our weekend in a nutshell... cooler temps {hello highs in the low 70s!!}, Disney on Ice: Toy Story 3, long walks, the park & some shopping.

little pumpkin

She looooved Toy Story 3

&&& our seats were amazing!

Avery slept over half the performance

when she was awake though she loved the lights :)

sister snuggles on the couch

today couldn't have been any more perfect

I took this on the walk to the PX

which both girls conveniently fell asleep giving me a solid hour of "alone time" to browse the PX to my hearts content. bliss.

all in all it was a great weekend!

36 hours

2011-10-06T22:41:00.000-05:00

the last 36 hours...

Tonight Maggie told me I wasn't a cute mom. for real. out of the mouths of babes. I really need to stop wearing nike shorts so dang much. although in my defense, yesterday it was downright chilly {what a low 77 degs. isn't chilly? pfffft} so I busted out my boots. favorite shoes ever. and yes, some lady told me she liked my shoes. she's not from around here obvi.

excuse the iPhone myspace pic... Maggie in the background in inside out and backward pajamas... and Avery just lounging in the bouncer by my unmade bed.

Had to take Mags to the dr... girlfrann has a UTI {again} but the bright side? we got some antibiotics and since you can't **catch the UTI we headed to play group.

**true story: I had a {more than slightly neurotic} friend ask me once if her kids could catch it from Maggie. UTI's are the new flu. tell everyone.

then I saw this car at the stop light and it made me giggle.

oh and Maggie found this bug. she was thoroughly impressed by it. enough so that she made me get my camera and "click it" like 9 times. and she had to approve every. single. picture. sadly? this is the best one. I'm no photographer clearly.

a just because photo of Avery smiling and wearing an aTm {only for her Aunt Anna & Uncle Lars, of course!} onesie. it's cute but even in pink it's still not baylor.

oh yeah and in all of that I decided that bottles were a go and Avery was going to stop "drinky boobie" {to quote Miss Mags} so that was about 30 hours of ~~fun~~ my own personal engorged hell. ultimately? I decided I wasn't quite ready and all is well. Avery is happily nursing once again and I'm just going to enjoy this time with my littlest girl because she won't be a baby forever.

this weekend I foresee some shopping... corn mazing... pumpkin patching and other good things in store!

funnies

2011-10-04T23:12:00.001-05:00

I needed a good laugh so todays post is brought to you by some ecards and blunt card

they're often wildly inappropriate but absolutely hysterical...

enjoy!

smorgasbord

2011-10-03T21:05:00.000-05:00

Today has just been loooong. I don't have anything coherent to say so today's post is just some random thoughts.

I think the bebe is teething. check out that drool.

and that cute face. she is just the dreamiest baby- great sleeper, hardly cries and just so so happy.

Maggie's sick. I'm sick. my house is a wreck. I don't think it has ever looked like this. some days you just need a break though.

Maggie the cowgirl edition.

she's really into dressing herself these days. today I saw no less than nine variations of pajamas... including inside out and backward shirts and all kinds of mismatched adorable.

and lord knows she loves her some Baylor. she wants to wear her Baylor dress all the time. that's my girl!

like mother like daughter

2011-10-02T21:16:00.001-05:00

baby laughs are the sweetest.

please ignore my screeching in the background.

I was clearly excited.

we're nothing alike.

I got a new iPhone {finally} and am having wayyy too much fun figuring out all of its features.

Maggie and I clearly enjoyed the camera!

it looks like I have something in my teeth but it's really just my abnormally odd gums.
I know because I just looked.

In other news, I'm slowly starting to spruce up our porch. sure we may have a yard full of crunchy brown weeds and only a patch of green grass in our yard full of kiddo toys but our porch will be cute! we're pretty much Sanford & Son over here.

I got a gorgeous mum and am on the lookout for a rocker for our porch/stoop {pooch? storch? it's bigger than a stoop but smaller than a porch. basically perfectly sized for a single rocker and not much else} and I also got a wreath. it's made of feathers. and it's black. I love it.

{it's the one on top}

Tyler told me that it made us look like the resident Wiccans.

I'd say the weekend was a success.

tomorrow is another day

2011-09-29T23:57:00.002-05:00

I just need to complain for a minute (or however long it takes you to read this)... the last 48 hours have been craptastic. and that is really putting it politely. let me just give y'all a little run down of the {not so} awesomeness that has played out in my life since Tuesday night.

Tuesday night
I got a spider bite. on my lady bits. which resulted in a midnight trip to the ER.

Wednesday
our flight back got delayed. &&& the whole daddy/soldier incident which left me emotional anyway.
I came home to a bug infestation.
My a/c was on the fritz.
Avery got the cha cha pants... I changed 9 diapers in the middle of the night, 4 of which were in a 20 minute span around 3:30 a.m. oh and she pooped on my sheets. not once but twice. I was up from roughly 3:15-5:30 or so.

Thursday
the bugs continue because maintenance can't come out until Friday. I squished and flushed a lot.
and because all of that wasn't enough... enter my worst nightmare: a MOUSE. I kid you not, if you thought I lost my cool during the great snake incident of 2011 well you should have seen me today. my girls and I were on my neighbors door step with me stuttering and sobbing. it was that kind of awful. and now? we're camping out at my sweet friend Jennifer's until the problem is eradicated. it's either this or move. really.

I. DON'T. DO. RODENTS.

it's just been a "if anything can go wrong it will" type of situation. over and over and over.

surely tomorrow things will get better.

"After all... tomorrow is another day" -Scarlett O'Hara {Gone With the Wind}

seriously where do I live? my {semi}nice on-post housing (not an oxymoron, I swear!) is starting to feel like the slums what with all the creatures that decided to take up residence there while we were on vacay. lesson learned: I'm never going on vacation again. I kid, of course! lord knows I love me some vacay. and free babysitters ;)

Hey It's OK Thursday

2011-09-29T05:04:00.000-05:00

the super sweet Ashleigh over at Life As I Know It told me about this fab link up so "Hey It's Ok Tuesdays" has now officially moved to "Hey It's Ok Thursday" on a related note check out Ashleigh's blog... she's a fellow Baylor alum, Army wife and has a precious little girl! Seriously could we have any more in common?! :)

To have been gone for 2 weeks and so overfilled my DVR that it started erasing shows.

To have been upset that some shows I really wanted to watch were deleted to make space for shows I really only watched because the husband liked them.

To go through and delete his shows off the DVR's "to record" list because he's gone for a year... then immediately feel bad and go back and set some of them back up.

To have gone to bed by 8 p.m. because 2 kids, a full day of traveling, a run-in with some soldiers at the airport during which the toddler screamed "DADDY!!" thereby turning me into a sobbing mess and then walking into my house and finding not only a crap ton of bugs but that the A/C wasn't working either.... well that just wears a girl out.

To have baby wiped both the girls down because I found some of the bugs in both bath tubs and I was just too exhausted to disinfect it all after cleaning up said bugs. so a baby wipe bath it was.

To have melted some ice cream and mixed it with chocolate syrup as a "faux choco milk" because there was no actual milk in the house.

To have loved loved loved the vacay the visit the fams but to be so glad to be back in my own bed!

sweaty feet and other business

2011-09-26T22:44:00.001-05:00

so now that I have something like ten too many pairs of {super} cute boots I just need some good Fall weather to bust them out!

alas it's 100+ degrees outside and my poor tootsies would not be so happy... nor would my new, shiny boots smells so nice. so they're all staying tucked in away in the closet {or suitcase} for now.

ok, I may or may not be wearing them around the house for dance parties with my girls but's that totally just because they need to be broken in.....

just because I'm desperately wishing for Fall weather to be here like yesterday... a few of my favorite autumnal themed loves via pinterest

spray painted pumpkins... how adorable are these? and so beyond my realm of crafty capability. but I obsess nonetheless. and apparently rhyme too.

Source: thirdfloordesignstudio.blogspot.com via Sharon on Pinterest

too cute!

Source: blog.craftzine.com via Sharon on Pinterest

jack o'lantern cocktails!

Source: legendaryhalloween.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

pumpkin spice pancakes

Source: annies-eats.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

love the simplicity of this

Source: marthastewart.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

pumpkin gingerbread trifle? don't mind if I do.

Source: tasteofhome.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

on that note could some cooler weather get here and stat? please and thank you. oh and maybe a little {or a lot} of rain too if the weather fairies are feeling sassy :)

recap... but mostly boots.

2011-09-25T22:57:00.002-05:00

I finally found a pair of cowboy boots. and can I just say I am obsessed. I want to wear them all the time. with everything. that's normal, right?

I didn't get any of the ones I posted here {although they are so cute!} instead I opted for something a little more classic and absolutely perfect for me. enter Lucchese boots and their plethora of handcrafted lovelies.

and these my friends? my new loverlies.

~~je t'adore~~. me gusta. apparently french just isn't my thing ;)

ok enough boots.

we had a fabulous weekend.... a fun hotel, girls weekend with my mom-sister-and-my-little-chickies, boot shopping {obvi}, the farmers market, a margarita or two ;), pool time, the childrens museum &&& lots of laughing. perfection.

museums & stuff

2011-09-22T23:46:00.001-05:00

took the kiddos to the Mayborn Museum.

had wayyyy too much fun. and I took way too many pictures which I then texted incessantly to my mom and mother-in-law. fun was had by all I assure you.

if you can't see this leading into a post of 5000 pictures well then you clearly don't know me at all.

&&&crappy pictures at that because, of course, I forgot my camera so I had to whip out ~~the crappy and seriously old~~ Tyler's old iPhone.

trains.

firechick.

bus driver.

she's in a teepee.
question: teepee or tipi? the sign on the wall said "tipi" and who spells it like that?
who's tired of the word teepee/tipi now? *me*

the foot piano?

Avery and I were there too. we just weren't nearly as enthralled.

and looking at the one picture I took of me makes me realize I need to get on that "lose the 25 lbs of baby weight I'm hanging onto like it's my job" bandwagon and stat.

Things I'm Loving Thursday

2011-09-21T23:07:00.002-05:00

the boot edition.

it's no secret I love boots. leather, suede, cowboy or rain. I love them all.

my wish list for the fall/winter seasons included a new pair of knee high {or almost there} leather pair and new cowboy boots. although the cowboy boots were more of a pipe dream because they weren't a necessity. although clearly new leather boots were a must.

I've had the same pair of dancing {i.e. cowboy} boots since my freshman year of college. and sadly ~~my parents dog~~ my dog in college that my parents have since adopted used them as a chew toy and they've seen better days.

but if I'm being honest with Tyler in Iraq and two bebes, I'm not out dancing a lot these days. or ever. but still I wanted. and sweet husband that Ty is he understands and told me to get some {I love that man, aside from understanding my shopping needs he's pretty dang awesome.}

all that to say I've spent hours perusing the internet for the perfect pair.

old gringo "diego"

Source: cavenders.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

old gringo "elvis"

Source: google.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

old gringo "tyler"

Source: oldgringoboots.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

frye "jane"

Source: shop.nordstrom.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

steve madden "candence"

Source: zappos.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

hunter wellies in turquoise

Source: google.be via Stephanie on Pinterest

&&&apparently I have a thing for Old Gringo boots which I didn't realize until looking over this post haha

I bought the Steve Maddens because really at under $100 it's like they gave them to me. but the hunt for the perfect dancing boots continues...