Down with the Dearmore's: June 2013

{five on friday} #5

We've made it! Happy Friday, y'all! I'm linking up again today with Darci from The Good Life Blog and others for 5 on Friday!

{one}
I'm anxiously awaiting a few packages in the mail and here is one of them! I ordered this Love Candy gold print this week from here. I've had my eye on it for awhile, but wasn't sure where I would put it...still not positive, but figured I would just experiment once it actually got in my home!

{two}

Okay, did y'all know about this deliciousness?!? I had no idea, but am hooked! If you haven't tried this iced coffee {and you're a coffee lover like myself}, it is a must!

{three}
I shared earlier in the week that my little miss and I went to visit one of my bests at work and also picked up a pair of these from her! Let me just tell you....they are THE most comfortable flip flops I've ever in my life put on my feet. They are worth every dollar! You can check them out here.

{four}
I found this gem at HomeGoods yesterday! I love everything about it! I think it'll add the perfect touch on my vanity. It came in gold, silver and darker brass. Of course, gold was my favorite....I can't get enough gold lately!

{five}
As you all know, Google Reader is ending on Monday. I hope you'll continue to follow Down with the Dearmores on Bloglovin'!!!

Here's to the weekend, my friends!!!

{summer lovin} for the littles

Aren't "little's" so much to shop for?!? Here are some of my favorites out right now. I mean, really...can it get much cuter?? ;) To see details on each item, click on the link below {my polyvore page}.

{summer lovin} for the littles by jenni824 on Polyvore

Speaking of shopping, I took Ella to Elaine Turner yesterday to visit one of my bests. If you're a Houston gal, you must go {semi-annual sale right now}, but if not, take a look at the website!

We have a little diva on our hands {with good taste, I must say}! Like I've said many times, girls are so fun, but oh so dangerous! ;)

Remember, July 1st deadline to switch from Google Reader to another service is quickly approaching! I hope you'll continue to follow Down with the Dearmores! You can do so with Pinterest and Bloglovin'.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

{make something monday}

Hello, Monday! Ready or not, you're here!

If you've been following my blog for a little while, you'll remember my DIY monogram wreath, but if not, you can find it here. This past weekend, I added a small touch that I think made all the difference {especially from the road}!

I'm loving all the new burlap {plain and designed} ribbon at Hobby Lobby right now! So, here you have my "year round" wreath!

As for this weeks project, I'm going to attempt to make a patriotic wreath I found on Pinterest {just in time for the 4th of July}.

I love the look of it, but it sure does seem time consuming! I have all of the supplies ready to go, but they've made it no further than the bag still sitting in my office. Alright, it's time to get busy!

As for my "make something Monday" recipe, I have my eye on this!

My Little Miss is a huge fan of Cool Whip {just discovered this over the weekend} and fruit, so this only seemed appropriate! ;) Everything is more fun in a mason jar too, right?!?

Here's to a productive ~~day~~ {okay, who am I kidding} week!

{five on friday} #4

I know I say it every week, but really, the weeks are flying by! I can't believe we've been on summer break 2 weeks today! I'm linking up again today with some favorite bloggers for "5 on Friday"! So here goes...

{one}

I've been in major need of some new shorts and finally found a pair I liked the other day! The best part...they're cheap {even on sale right now}, and comfy! Thank you, Old Navy!

{two}

We started a new tradition this week with my sweet neighbor/friend....Wednesday Wine Walk....How fun is that?!?! Mommy's load up the little's, pour a little glass, and head out for a walk around the block {and a stop at the park}! Fun for the kiddos and a good time for the mom's as well! Love we have this to look forward to each week. How cute are these two?!?!

{three}

This lemon bar puppy chow has been staring me down since the day I found it on Pinterest! I'm thinking this will be the weekend to finally cave in! How can you not?!?! Has anyone else tried this recipe?

{four}

My little miss has always been a good sleeper, so we're so thankful, BUT...it's been a different story the past 2 weeks. She was sick last week, so I know things are always a little off, but this week has been a different story! Around the same time each time, Ella wakes up screaming and crying...there is no stopping unless we hold her. After that, she absolutely will not go back to her bed. We've struggled the past 2 nights. She won the battle and ended up in bed with us {which has never happened until last week when she was sick}. I was doing some reading and discovered she could be having nightmares. :/ Breaks my heart. I was also wondering if she was getting her 2 year molars. Hubby and I have talked about a plan, and we're gonna try the whole pallet thing in her room {crossing my fingers on this one}. Even better, I hope this is just a very short phase we're going through and little miss will be back to her awesome sleeper self! Has anyone else dealt with this?!?

{five}

Happy 21 months {today} to my sweet baby girl {who is definitely not a baby anymore}! We have a 21 month old going on 4 on our hands! I have no idea where she go this from! ;) Time sure does fly by when you're having fun!

Wishing you all a very Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!!

{what's in my beach bag} toddler version

Hello to all and a Happy Thursday! You'll find me here today guest posting about some of my favorite toddler beach items! Please be sure to stop by and check it out! I'll leave you with a sneak peak of some of my favorite items! ;)

And of course, a picture of my favorite beach babe!

{weekend recap}

We spent the weekend celebrating a very special birthday and 3 very special Father's! Friday, we decided to head down to the beach so my hubby {the birthday boy} could wake up first thing on Saturday and go fishing {his absolute most favorite thing}! Ella and I were still under the weather, but we finally started feeling like ourselves again on Saturday...thank goodness! Ella helped bake a birthday cake for Josh! I don't know if she was more into the stirring or eating the batter and icing! I'll let you be the judge on that one! ;)

Saturday morning, Ella and I ventured on the golf cart until we could find where the birthday boy was fishing! We were anxious to see him {since he left the house at 4:30am}! We were all smiles that day {for many reasons}!

After our morning beach fun, we headed back to the beach house to eat some lunch and birthday cake! Here is the birthday cake we made for our most favorite "beach bum"! Ella couldn't wait to show him!

On Sunday morning, we woke up and treated Josh to a big breakfast and gave him his gifts. We hated missing church, but stayed in since we hadn't been feeling well, then headed to my parents for lunch! I loved getting to spend the day with two of my most favorite men in the world My sis was in town, so we were able to take our traditional daddy/daughter picture!

After a fun weekend of celebrating, we headed home with our happy {and much healthier} baby girl! I can't get enough of her little pigtails! A very fun weekend had by all!

{wearing fourth of july}

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We had fun celebrating a very special birthday and three very special father's. That's a post for a later date! ;) Can you believe we're already half way through the month of June?? This means that the Fourth of July is right around the corner! One of my very favorite celebrations...I love this day not only for what it stands for, but because we're always with family, friends, on the water, and eating lots of yummy food! Here are some looks for the whole family to celebrate the day in style!

{wearing fourth of july} by jenni824

To see each individual piece, click on the link above. Stay tuned for some favorite Fourth of July recipes, decor and more! Happy Tuesday, y'all!

{5 on friday} #3

Happy Friday! Seriously, where did this week go?? I'm linking up again today with Darci @ The Good Life Blog and some other favorite bloggers for 5 on Friday! Such a fun series, ladies!

{one} I have a slight obsession with Target...no, really, it's bad! BUT...this good find was from the $1 section, can't beat that! How cute is this gingham container?!? There are SO many things you can do with this....as seen in the picture below, I added a small arrangement I already had from Pottery Barn. Simple as that. Other ideas: use it for a teachers gift, silverware holder, outdoor table decor, storage in the playroom, etc. Such a fun {and cheap} find!

{two} We begin swim lessons with Ella this coming week. I'm so excited! We have a little fish on our hands and as much as we're at the pool and beach, it's so important to us that she knows exactly what to do the moment her little body hits the water.

{three} Have y'all tried the new salad's at Chick-fil-a?!? Yummy! I've only had the Cobb salad, but the others look great as well, BUT, I can't say I don't sneak some of Ella's waffle fries...how can you not?! ;)

{four} So stinkin' excited about this one...hubby and I booked our five year anniversary trip to San Francisco and Napa! This has been a trip we've talked about since the day we met, so to say we're beyond excited in an understatment! September, we can't wait until you're here {I'm not by any means trying to rush the summer, though}!

{five} Not only will we be celebrating Father's Day this weekend, but also my hubby's birthday! I always love a good excuse to celebrate! Assuming all are well in our little household, we might make a fast trip to the beach {Josh's most favorite place on earth}. If not the beach, then we are planning on taking advantage of grandparents close by to go on a dinner date!

Wishing you all a wonderful Friday! Cheers to the weekend!!!!

{rosemary-peppercorn prosciutto wrapped shrimp}

This past weekend, my hubby cooked us a fabulous dinner with some fresh fish he caught during the week and a new shrimp appetizer we had never tried. It was too good not to share with all of you!

Ingredients

1 pound of shrimp

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsps Rosemary - finely chopped

2 Tbsps crushed black pepper

2 pkg prosciutto ham

Directions

1. Peel, devein and butterfly shrimp, leave tails on. Set aside.

2. Mix together; olive oil, rosemary and black pepper. Dredge prepared shrimp generously in oil-seasoning mixture. Wrap each shrimp with prosciutto ham and place on skewer (or with a toothpick for individual shrimp).

3. Place over medium-hot mesquite charcoal in BBQ pit and cook until done, approx. 5 min per side.

These make great appetizers or entrees! Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Recipe courtesy of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine

{for dad} gift ideas

Happy Wednesday, friends! We have been busy over here at the Dearmore casa! I was able to wrap everything up at work just in time for summer break....it was very crazy busy, but so worth it to have my summers off! Yeah for summer! The bummer side....we began our summer break with Ella coming down with the very dreaded stomach bug. Blah....She has {hopefully} made a turn for the best today! Wishing, hoping and praying Josh and I don't catch this yucky bug. I guess it's just part of being a parent...but the part that IS NOT fun!

Can you believe we're just days away from Father's Day? If you're like me, shopping for him can sometimes be a little challenging! So, I've put together some of my favorite finds for dad. Below, you can find anything for a man on the go, a man who loves the outdoors and/or a man with style!

Hubby's birthday is always right around Father's Day {if not on the exact day}, so I really have some shopping to do this time of year! If I'm leaving out something that the man in your life has loved or really appreciated, please do share!!!

{for dad} gift ideas by jenni824

This post would not be complete unless I shared some pictures of some of my favorite dad's around! I am beyond blessed with the best daddy and girl could ever hope and pray for. I'm so thankful for the example he set for me, the way he loved me, and for setting the bar very high for the man I would marry one day!

Not only did he get to play the part of "dad" on our wedding day, but also our Pastor. Wow, what an incredible day {obvsiously for many, many reasons}!

Not only is he the very best dad, but also one incredible Papa to Ella! The way he lights up just talking about her puts a smile on my face! There aren't enough words to thank my dad for the dad he is and continues to be as well as Papa!

Not only do I have the most incredible husband, but a man who is THE best daddy for our sweet girl. I could not imagine anyone else by my side to share in parenthood. I love the way he looks at Ella, the way he talks to her, plays with her, and even tears up just talking about her!

I'm also very blessed to have a Father-in-law that treats me like his own. I realize that is a very rare thing, so I do not take it for granted! He {just like his son} has a huge heart for others and his family! Thank you Double for the example you set for Josh! You're a super dad, Father-in-law and "Bubble" to E!

{weekend happenings + summer pin-spirations}

We enjoyed a very laid back and relaxing getaway to the beach this past weekend! Ahh....a much needed break with all the craziness the end of the school year brings. No complaining here, as I love my job, just a very, very busy time of the year! Ella enjoyed her very first boat ride! She was not too crazy about the life jacket, but with distractions from mommy, daddy, grandparents, food, drinks, ice chips, birds, water, houses {ok, you get the point}, we survived! ;) She really did have a great time! We can't wait to go out on "Reel Time" again! Here are a few pictures from our weekend happenings.

This week begins my very last week of the '12-'13 school year. What a very blessed year it has been for me! I prayed so hard for a part-time job in order to be at home more with E. God is so faithful and provided the perfect job for ME. Did I ever expect less?!?
So, now that summer is just around the corner, I'm trying to find some fun {and different} things for us to do!

E is still 20 months old, so I know she is still young to do some of these things, but it's never too early to start {in my opinion}! I thought this was a very fun, yet easy "summer schedule" to do with kiddos {yes, even at Ella's age}! Loving this!

Here are some fun and creative activities for little ones. Some I've some, and some were new to me. It's always fun to see others ideas! Five senses activities found here