these are a few of my favorite things...

Signet Rings

I'm dying to have the mister's initials in one of these numbers. This particular fancy is of course, Tiffany so I will probably have to shoot for the j.crew version until I provide something worth his while. 

Tiffany & Co. or j.crew

High Heeled Brownies

These puppies will make it to my closet very soon, I just need to spend less time on here and more time online shopping. Probably not. I love the height and the fact that there is NO ZIPPER. 

zara

Pendleton Blankets

I sure hope santa has this tucked away for me because as of five seconds ago, it is no longer available. Santa... please read this post. thank you in advance. It will go nicely with the new bedding I have been imagining. 

OPI

More specifically, the Muppets collection. I'm sure it's just the holiday cheer, but I'm digging the glittery shades. I am currently "Getting Miss Piggy with It" if you're curious. 

Being Engaged

I have really been into being engaged lately. I'm always "into" the idea of getting married, but I have really been obsessed with the mister lately. Obviously this isn't us, but it sure is presh. 

**this was clearly not in any particular order....

A year ago today...

A year ago today we were celebrating our engagement in Santa Ana's home in San Miguel de Allende... we have come so far and learned so much, especially what it means to love unconditionally. This week I am especially thankful for my fiance.

Tyler, I love you so much and cannot wait to journey down whatever path was made for us.

August 4, 2012 in Santa Fe, NM. Mark your calendars, it will be worth it. 

Thankful

I drove to work today thinking about how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life. Thank you to each and every one of you for making me who I am today. Lots of love and Happy Thanksgiving!

boondocks

I have the best "soon-to-be-husband" in the world! Not only does he listen to my incessant complaining about how busy we are on the weekends, he plans the most off the map getaways. Look how cute he is in that picture... 

Anywho, the mister surprised me with a weekend in the boonies. we drove and drove and drove until we wound up in a little place called Uncertain, TX- Population 194. The lake is said to be haunted so the first morning of duck season caught us by surprise. We were pretty sure we were headed for murder and if it didn't happen then, it was going to happen by the end of the weekend. Well, we made it out alive and cannot wait to go back. 

We spent the weekend laughing, drinking wine, playing checkers and as I put it, exploring. There was one down fall- Tyler packed for me. In short, the picture of me is terrible because a. he forgot my brush so I played "the little mermaid" and used a fork b. he only brought pajamas and one pair of jeans- these jeans have to be worn with my tallest shoes. thank goodness I was wearing a pair of skinnies, but they were purple c. my shoes were bright green duck shoes, so I was quite colorful d. no makeup, none. no powder, nothing. On the bright side, he did bring all of my favorite lazy day clothes, they just don't really go together! haha

I wish we could have better documented the weekend, but I was too ugly! 

Thank you babe for a wonderful weekend and the best reminder that it doesn't always matter what I look like :). ps- the house in the middle picture is from true blood. 

A day late and a dollar short...

Okay, I know that I promised a surprise yesterday but I got too busy! So, here it is.... I officially have two things marked off the wedding to-do list. Rehearsal Dinner dress- CHECK. Bridesmaids dresses- CHECK CHECK! Yes ladies, I've picked them out and y'all will LOVE them. They are champagne and perfect for any wedding or event you may need to attend after August 4th. Honestly, I'm not just saying that!

Say tuned for pictures, etc. Next up: Dress shopping for me! Can't wait. 

xoxo

Have a Spoooky Weekend!

Happy Halloween! Have a good weekend... talk to you Monday!

ps- Monday will come with a surprise!

August 4, 2012

The wedding is fast approaching and we are getting so excited (don't get ahead of yourselves, we still have 10 months). We have booked our trip to Santa Fe over Christmas- it is going to fab. We are even treating ourselves to a pit stop in the LBK for Cafe J. Flirtini anyone?

I realize that my usual answer for wedding related questions is "I don't know", but it's a lie. I know, I definitely know. My main focus these days is on flowers- I'm dreaming of centerpieces and Altar arrangements. What do y'all think? What would you choose?

Oh, and there is a big date coming up. The dress! Mark your calendar for November 10th. I can't wait!! 

Chi City

i'm sitting at my desk, needing to work but finding my "jet lag" (for lack of a better term) too intense to keep going. so i write... Rory and I went to Chicago this weekend for D'Anton's football game in Evanston. we had the BEST time. it was a nice girly get away and we got to spend some much needed mother-daughter time laughing, drinking and talking all things wedding. if you know my mom, you know that she takes a camera everywhere and annoys me to no end when walking down the street. imagine taking twenty minutes to go one block- it's torture. but i have to say thanks this time, otherwise i would not have taken the time to snap a few pictures of my own. here are some of my favorite "awe" moments- they're all architectural, go figure.    

on another note- way to go Red Raiders!! 

How was your weekend? Do anything special?

The Weekend...

Happy TX/OU Weekend! We are looking forward to a fun-filled weekend full of college football and relaxing. I think that Lola is most excited, she has really missed us lately. Last night, I ran in from yoga and dropped my bags at the door- about two hours later I looked over and she had fallen asleep with her head in my purse. I guess she was making sure I didn't leave without her!

We are headed to Roemer's tomorrow for brunch and football and will head to out to scout a good Tech/A&M spot to cheer on our RED RAIDERS. Fingers crossed, we will pull off this win. Those aggie dorks cannot handle Tubberville- he came from the SEC, should be a good lesson in making bad decisions.

Finally, I leave you with this. I get a billion forwards each day from co-workers and my mom. I typically glance at them and move on. This one got a laugh out loud today. Maybe because I saw Ashley's facebook post yesterday (cannot believe you can marry your cousin in more states than your gay or lesbian partner. bizarre). Who knows. Hope it makes you smile. Enjoy your weekend, FIGHT RAIDERS FIGHT!

Favorites

If this came in ivory, I would totally wear this to my wedding. 

White bedding is on its way... Cannot wait.

On my mind lately- Flowers for Santa Fe. Cannot wait for August 4, 2012. 

Peanut Butter Pie... for the Mister

i'll admit it- i roam around the blog-o-sphere and jump from blog to blog as they're recommended to me (via blogs written by people i do not know and will never, ever know). i do this often. i get attached and i stick with them and pretend that i am quickly becoming their best friend. this means i get emotional- haha, i'm serious. i found this blog while searching for recipes and it led me to this story- this story killed me. i sobbed at my desk as i read about this journey and sobbed harder as i thought about how i'd deal with it, should it happen to my family. (i lost my dad when i was a teenager but it seems so long ago and the thought of my children losing their dad seems much more catastrophic than what i went through for sure. PS- these are fictional kids i'm talking about, which takes the drama factor up about one hundred notches.) needless to say, i made this pie the next day for the mister. IT WAS RIDIC. hurry up and make it for your peanut butter loving hubby (ehm, hubby-to-be) and think of Mikey while you're at it.

Peanut Butter Love Pie...

 For Tyler

1 Graham Cracker Crust, Recipe Below

2 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream

1/4 Cup Sugar

8 Ounces Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Cup Peanut Butter (go with the good stuff– not the fresh)

1 Cup Confectioner’s Sugar, Sifted (that means powdered sugar)

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract (i used Mexican vanilla)

Garnish: Optional (reese’s pb cups, mini work great)

1. Pour the cream into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer), and add the sugar. Whip on low speed to combine and then increase the speed to medium-high. Whip until medium-stiff peaks form, about 1.5 minutes. Chill in the fridge until needed.

2. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter and vanilla and beat until smooth, stopping the mixer to scrape down the bowl once or twice.

3. Measure about 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream from the bowl in the fridge, and fold it into the peanut butter mixture until well blended

4. Pour the mixture into your crust. Top with the remaining whipped cream and garnish as desired.

5. Put in the fridge until ready to serve. Tyler liked it best frozen.

Graham Cracker crust

1 3/4 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (Ground Fine from 12 Large Graham Crackers)

1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar

Pinch of Salt

7 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter your pie plate and set aside.3. Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly, first with a fork and then with your fingers. (If the mixture seems to sandy, wet your fingers and keep mixing)

2. In a small bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and salt.

4. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of your pie plate.

5. Bake for 8 minutes

6. Cool the crust on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before filling.

One Hot Mess...

that's what i got myself into yesterday morning- a hot mess. i am not an avid shopper. my mom has a clothing store, a fabulous one at that, so i do not find tremendous joy in shopping for clothes. i do however adore shoe shopping and i'm not sure if i enjoy anything more than decorating my home so i decided monday night that i would get up early and head to target to "pick-up" a few Missoni for Target items. hahaha- biggest joke of the year. a. i do not enjoy big crowds or pushy shoppers and b. i don't enjoy clothes with prints, especially neon prints- in fact, i've recently decided that the majority of my home will be WHITE. if you know Missoni, you know that white doesn't exist. here's how it all went down:

i decided on the target in frisco because that area is so heavily populated with young moms that i figured everyone would be stuck in the carpool lanes at the billion schools frisco now offers. WRONG. these wonder moms actually had their less interested friends and neighbors take their kids to school so that they could ransac the place. when i arrived at 8:15 (the store opens at 8:00) there were maybe ten different items left. i grabbed what i liked and headed to a quiet corner to pick through my loot and choose my favs. of course sweet P got a sussie, the cutest of all my purchases, and i snagged a couple home items and a shirt. yes, i said a shirt. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY- i do not deal well with clothes that i don't understand. i do solids and most of my clothes require a dry cleaner, so this was foreign territory for me and it seems as though the fabulous world of target clothing will stay that way. more power to you ladies that can pull it off- i'm honestly jealous. the mister is returning it along with my unwanted purchases later today- i'm bad at returns. 

moral of this story- i fought the shopping cart traffic and crowded parking lot at 8:15 in the morning to get a onesie and a t-shirt bra. i'm not buying into the hype next time. not the throw i wanted, nothing i wanted. boo.

Dreaming of....

a backyard. the mister and i are house hunting right now and cannot wait to dream up our own private "get away". until then- take a look at these fabulous dream lands. 

california calm paradise

southern belle's paradise

hampton's paradise

gypsy's paradise

lake lover's paradise

images via Reasons to Breathe

Favorites

As you all know, Maryl is leaving TOMORROW for her fabulous adventure in Sing Sing! We are so excited to see what is in store for them... but I sure will miss our daily car ride convos about absolute nonsense! We made a joke yesterday that we love "FAVORITES" and made a half-serious agreement to share daily favorites with each other! I've decided to share the things our household considers top notch with everyone on occasion so here it goes....

My Favorite tail-wagging smile to come home to turned seven on Wednesday! Lola, you're my all-time favorite! Love you so much!

Blowing out her birthday candle!!

Sweet "P"

In case you haven't heard, Maryl is having a GIRL! Perry Louise Green will grace us with her presence this fall and we cannot wait to meet Miss P (we are ignoring the fact that it could be light years away, that's what face time is for, right?!)! Anywho- the impending excitement reminds me of welcoming Gussy into the world; all of us lost our minds in the midst of shopping for the first baby of the family! So imagine, this is the first girl- We are all dreaming of smocked dresses and ruffles and everything cute, sweet and fabulous which brings me to this interesting post I came across this morning about "How to talk to Little Girls". I found it very interesting and it honestly made me think of the first time I realized that there were little girls that were in fact, cuter than me. Darn you small town, you fooled me! Totally kidding, but it was a rude awakening to read about how we can shape a child's self-image by asking questions. 

DIY Obsession

if you've talked to me recently you're aware that i am obsessed with DIY projects... or should i say, i've become obsessed. i've made flowers, we have a striped wall, you read about cupcakes and you should see the bag i'm making... all that said, i found a blog that is devoted to all of my current obsessions: Urban Scarlet. Poor Mister, he has to put up with me!

Our Weekend in Pictures...

Saturday afternoon was spent poolside with Barrett and Sarah and we managed to get Barrett up to experience Dallas' first "Silent Disco"- google it. It was hilarious! I was a little weary about going but so glad Ty was able to convince me. 

I was in charge of dessert for Mother's Day so I decided to make "Strawberry Puffcakes" from "The Girl Who Ate Everything". I gave them my own twist- adding Mexican Vanilla to the frosting instead of regular. They were fabulous.

Sunday afternoon Tyler and I headed to Celina to see my mom and Aunt Fran. I am so lucky to have these two women in my life- I absolutely love and adore them! This picture was taken of my mom and I in Santa Fe at Aunt Fran's house. She hates pictures, but I think she's beautiful! Yesterday was perfect, not too hot... we got to enjoy a Mav's win and watch the pups run and play and bite each other! I hope you enjoyed your day Mom, we love you!

And an extra Happy Mother's Day to Suzanne Robertson! We were sad to miss you but we'll be there soon to visit! I think Tyler has a special song to karaoke for you... get ready! Love you lots!

Happy Easter!

I can't even begin to describe how much I LOVE Easter! Not only do you get to share it with your family and enjoy a fantastic church service, but once in a blue moon your bestie shows up to make it amazing! Lauren and I were so excited to spend the day with Courtney and Michelle... and Duke! Haha! My mom throws an exceptional Easter celebration and Tyler has done the best job getting involved in our obsession with this holiday- we are all truly lucky to get to share this special day with each other!

Tyler and I dyed eggs on Saturday... Tie Dyed- this was an interesting "late night" purchase!

And here is Mr. Gussy celebrating Easter in Burkburnett! We missed y'all so much and are so excited that next year there will be TWO of them!

Yikes! Stripes!

I finally got my stripes! Tyler was so nice to help me paint our entry way this weekend. I was sick and helpless so he really pulled through and helped me measure and draw out the painfully perfect stripes. I've given you a before and after of the whole ordeal. Man... I owe him big!! 

The apartment has a lot of white walls... like most apartments do so we painted two walls plain navy and one with navy and white stripes. It's a little nautical and slightly Greek but we like it!

For good measure I decided to throw in some extra pictures. Here is Tyler walking into the apartment... if you get past his "pleasant" expression you can see the plain Jane wall behind him. 

I'm also giving you a glimpse of our "backyard" where we sit and let Lola boss all the neighborhood dogs around- our balcony looks out into this courtyard so Lola gets to check up on all her friends while she enjoys the AC from kennel-with-a-view. And finally... the lady herself, enjoying a beautiful Friday afternoon!

Happy Tuesday Y'all!