{the little things} week 1

I'm excited to be linking up with Ashley and Jess for their first week of hosting "It's the little things!" I love the concept of being able to share "little things" that happen in our daily life as we all have many each and every day! After all, it's the little things that mean the most, right?!

 

We had yet another "snow" day yesterday! I do not work on Tuesday's, so it was already a day off for Ella and I except for her dance lessons. So...we had to miss her 2nd ballet class yesterday. Hopefully we'll get a chance to do a make-up class soon! Being "stuck" inside really does make you appreciate the "little things"! :)

 

1. I enjoyed some "me" time while Ella was taking a nap and gave myself a much needed manicure! I chose a brighter color as I dreamed of warm, sunny, beach vacations!

 

2. Being stuck inside all day with a 2 year old makes you pull out some "oldie but goodie" activities, so....we made cereal necklaces! {thank you Jen for your inspiration on this one}! Ella thought it was the neatest thing to be able to eat her necklace after we put it together! ;)

 

3. She also enjoyed making Valentine's Day cards for her great grandparents! Even though they are the most simple thing you can think of, I know it will make our grandparents "month" when they receive these in the mail!

 

4. Looking outside at the snow/ice! It's not everyday you see this in Houston, my friends!

  

 

May we all take time to simply enjoy the "little things" each day! Thanks for hosting this fun series, ladies!



{ice day + family par-tay + sunshine} weekend happenings

Hi, friends! We're ready for a "normal", "on-schedule" week around here!!! Last week was a little off due to Ella's teething and a day off on Friday due to the Houston "ice storm" {there was ice, but by the next day, it was back into the 60's - HA!}! I know I'm only asking for it now!!! Oh well...I'm feeling confident! ;) 

 

Now onto our weekend happenings! We had a super fun weekend! Here is a re-cap in pics!

 

We began our Friday at 5am with a phone call saying that school was closed for the day {the one I work at and the one Ella attends}! So...here we are checking it all out! This is Ella's "Oh...so this is what an ice day in Houston looks like?!!?" :)

After a few hours, we decided we needed an activity! Remember the brownies I posted a few weeks ago on my Five on Friday....well here you go! Three words....JUST DO IT!!!! So yummy!

 That night, Josh fixed us red fish on the half shell! I sure love our date nights-in!

 Saturday, we spent the day getting ready for a lot of our family to come over for dinner! We always love getting to spend time together!!!

Sunday was spent enjoying time with our little fam in the beautiful sunshine and 70 degree weather!

 

Wishing you a happy, happy day!



{five on friday} boots + ballet + bubbles

It's here! My favorite day of the work week!!! FRIDAY!!! And would you believe...I'm at home today for a "Snow/Ice Day" in Houston! Say whaaaaa?!!? Don't worry, it'll be back up to 70 this weekend! Oh Houston...! It really has been a good week {besides my sweet one cutting two molars at the same time....YIKES....help me}!!!!! You already know the Friday drill.....it's time for Five on Friday with some of my favorite gals, Darci, April, Christina and Natasha!

 

{one}

Okay, maybe I'm a little late to the party, but I see these boots all over blogs and Pinterest and need you experts to spill it all! I think these are the most adorable boots ever! Do you own any {for you or your little mini}? If so, do tell! We might just have to own some of these around here!

 

{two}

The day finally came this week....Ella started ballet!!! I have to be honest, I was SO pumped! She looked absolutely adorable in all her ballerina get-up! BUT, it didn't really go like I had imagined! Like I mentioned above, she has been trying to cut 2 molars for about a week now. She is normally a very happy, go with the flow, never clingy or a crier kind of gal....UNTIL this week! Makes my heart sad. So all that to say, Ella really could have cared less about ballet - which is funny, because she has been talking about dance for weeks! I'm just praying this is all due to the teething! Once I sat in the back of the class with her, she had a fun time and participated! Hurry up teeth, your're killing us both!!!!

 

{three}

In case you missed it from yesterday, my sweet friend Emily, from Dear Owen, asked a few gals to guest post for her while she's taking a little blogging break enjoying life as a mommy of TWO {yeah, welcome to the world Claire}!!! She asked us to write about "How we make date-nights happen". You can check out my post here! Be sure to stay tuned for the others!!!! I personally can't wait!

 

{four}

Speaking of loooove, I came across these adorable printable tags that I ordered for Ella's Valentine's this year! Bubbles are one of her favorite things right now, so I thought it would be fitting!

These were her Valentine's last year!

 

{five}

 Y'all, have you tried Starbucks Salted Caramel Cake Pop?!!!!? OMG! Three words..... GET ONE NOW! They are delish{and to make it even better, add a Caramel Apple Spice to go with it}! Bliss!

 

Wishing you all a very happy weekend!!!

 



{how we make date-nights happen}

Good Morning, Friends! My sweet blogger, turned real life friend Emily from Dear Owen asked several girls to do a guest post for her while she is taking some time off after welcoming sweet baby Claire into this world {yesterday}!!! I was thrilled she asked and am even more thrilled to read all of the fun guest posts! With Valentine's Day right around the corner {how can it already be}, she is doing a series called "How we make date-nights happen"! Love, love, love! So, I've put together a little post about how we make them happen in our home! You'll have to go here to check it out!!! Wishing you all a happy day! I'll be back tomorrow for Five on Friday!

 



weekend recap {beach getaway}

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! My little fam majorly needed a little getaway, so off to the beach we went! We're so thankful we have my in-laws beach house so close to us! We enjoyed a dinner party on Friday night with some dear friends, then loaded up the car first thing Saturday morning and made our little adventure. It could not have been a more beautiful weekend! Here are a few pics to recap our weekend!

 

We spent a lot of time riding around in the golf cart, picking up shells, taking walks on the beach {while still trying to stay warm}, eating yummy seafood, enjoying time with grandparents, and truly relaxing! Bliss!

 Sunday morning, I walked outside and saw this sunrise! I ran in to grab my phone to take a quick pic! How pretty is this?!!? Thank you LORD for your beautiful creation {and these picture perfect reminders}!

 My sweet girl and all her many expressions! It sure helped the time in the car go by much faster! :)

 

Happy day, friends!!! It's Bachelor night! :) My guilty pleasure, indeed!



{five on friday} fashion + adam + chocolate

Happy Friday!!! It's been a little bit of a long week around here! Ella has had a cold + cutting a molar {possibly two}; however, you would have never known she felt bad by the way she was acting and playing! She was running a fever, so of course, we couldn't take her to school, but thankfully all of the grandparents stepped up to the plate for the 190th time this year!!!! So very thankful to have both of our families so close to us! So we are ready for a fun weekend to say the least!!! I'm linking up again today with Darci and the gals for 5 on Friday!

 

{one}

I got this is the mail this week from my sister!!! As you may recall, my sis got engaged on Christmas Eve! We're so excited for all of the festivities to begin {and soon I might add}! She has finally set a date for June 15, 2014! Let's get this partay started! ;))

 

{two}

I shared some of my favorites for the mini's for Valentine's Day this year! If you missed it, be sure to check it out here {sources avaliable}.

 

{three}

I came across this maxi skirt this week from one of my favorite {online} boutiques and couldn't resist! I absolute love wearing these during the Spring and Summer! Maybe I'm dreaming too much of warmer weather or better yet, a beach vacay?!!!?

 

{four}

If you're familiar with Houston at all, you know that the Rodeo is a really.big.deal around these parts! I'm talking a 3 week long rodeo with an unbeliavable concert line-up for each night! This was the week that they announced who will be here this March, and look out H-town, Adam Levine {well actually Maroon 5} is coming to town! My girlfriends and I have already planned {well mostly anyways} our girls night out!!!! Hurry up, March!!!

 

{five}

I came across this recipe last Sunday night, and I cannot get the darn thing out of my head!!! I think this might be the weekend for a little taste testing!! ;) How devine does this look?!!?

 

Cheers to a fun filled weekend, my friends!!!! OXOX

 

 



love is in the air {mini style}

I feel like I was just posting about Christmas gift ideas for the mini's and here we are getting ready for Valentine's Day?!!!? I guess the saying is true that the older you get, the more time flies! I must be getting old! ;) I put together some of my favorites for the mini's this year - all things red and pink! I hope you like them as much as I do! Happy browsing!

Row 1: one. two. three. four {currently out of stock at Carter's}

Row 2: one. two

Row 3: one. two. three

Row 4: one. two

dearmoresaday2014 {week 1}

Happy Monday!!! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We had the most gorgeous weather here in Houston, so we pretty much stayed outdoors as much as we could and did {well hubby did} lots of grilling out! My kind of weekend! If you're already a follower of mine on Instagram, then you've already seen what is one of my 2014 goals - a picture a day! I love the idea that at the end of the year, we can look back and actually see our year in review! Don't get me wrong, some days, I think to myself, what in the world have I gotten myself into {and committed to}, but I know on Dec. 31, 2014, I will be SO very thankful! With that being said, if you're not already a follower, you can do so here. I will also {do my very best} to give a weekly update on my blog! I'm a few days late {as it's almost time for week 2 to wrap up}, but better late than never!

 

Day 1: Winding down from a busy week!

 Day 2: She was just as excited about Target as I was! We hadn't been in 5 days {yes, probably a record for us}! Sad I know, but very true!!

 Day 3: Celebrating 5 years with out little fam!

 Day 4: My little rock star in training!

 Day 5: She's always ALL smiles at the park!

 Day 6: Such a big girl! Showing daddy her big smile after her first day at school!

 Day 7: These 3 could not love each other anymore if they tried! Sweet cousins!

 

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24



five on friday {my first for 2014}

So happy to be back for some Five on Friday with the lovely Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha! I'm in my first week back to work after the Christmas break, so I'm gladly welcoming Friday this week!!!! Ok, let's get started.....

 

{one}

Instead of putting together a list of New Year’s resolutions, I decided to come up with one word that I hope will be the focal point for our family this 2014. The word I came up with is cherish! I think over the past 3 weeks, the LORD has been trying to show me to enjoy, to cherish, to savor the NOW, not the future, not what could be, not what maybe, not what I necessarily have planned out, but to enjoy what I have at this very moment in time. If you're anything like me, you have everything "planned" out, from the most simple things to the "bigger" things in life. And if you're also like me, you're learning that life doesn't quite work like that! So it is my goal for this next year {and hopefully many more to come}, that I will be able to sit back and truly cherish all that God has blessed me with! I wanted to share this with you as maybe one of you needed to hear this as well!

 

{two}

Okay, on a much lighter note {but important note}, Josh and I celebrated our FIFTH anniversary one week ago today! Wow, they weren't kidding when they said time would fly! What a fun journey the last 5 have been! We technically celebrated our anniversary back in September when we traveled to San Fran and Napa, but were able to slip away for a night to Galveston! We enjoyed dinner at one of our very favorites {Rudy & Pacos for all of you local peeps}, and see Jerry Jeff Walker in concert at the Galveston Opera House. Jerry Jeff has always been one of my hubby's favorites, so Santa slipped some tickets into his stocking this year! ;) If you're in the area, I highly recommend the Opera House in Galveston! It was so intimate, inviting and gorgeous at the same time! The next morning, we woke up to this beautiful sunrise! Here's to five, ten, twenty, fifty more years!!!!

 

{three}

The time is getting closer for Ella's big girl room!!! I can't even believe it! I have been dying over this wallpaper for quite some time and might just bite the bullet! I would love to use it on an accent wall {the one her bed backs up to} and love the look of the gold letters on top of it! I love how it looks sophisticated, yet still sweet! E's nursery colors are already done in light greens and pinks, so I think it would blend in perfectly!

 

{four}

 Speaking of my big girl...it's been a big week for her! She began her new school on Monday and has done beautifully! She also began potty training, so its been girl panties around these parts! So far, so good! Only a few accidents, which of course, are to be expected! Slow down, baby girl!!!!

 

{five}

When Jessica posted these shirts on her IG a few days ago, I jumped all over these! I mean, really!???! Can't wait for Ella and I to wear our matching Valentine's shirts in a few weeks!!!

 

Wishing you all a very happy Friday and weekend!!!!! As of now {I know plans can change quickly}, we're planning to have a low key kind of a weekend! And we are very ready! :)



i'm baaaaack {christmas recap}

Hello, my blogging world friends!!!! I took my Christmas break literal, and stepped away from blogging for a couple of weeks {I think actually 3 weeks}. We had such a wonderful Christmas full of some fun surprises and lots of family time! I wanted to share some of the memories we made through pictures! Hope you enjoy!

 

Our first Christmas began with Josh's side of the family! It is sure to always be a good time with lots of littles running around! One of my most favorite traditions that they have started over the past 3 years is having a dear friend of their's come over after our meal to play Christmas music! We all gather in the dining room to sing {and mostly watch the kiddos dance and perform}! Such sweet memories!

 The next day, we headed to my parents church for One Starry Night. We got to meet up with some sweet friends for a little while before Ella became absolutely engaged with everything going on inside {from the crafts, to the animals, to the Christmas story play}! I couldn't believe how much she enjoyed it at just 2 years old!

 Then on Christmas Eve, I got a text {that I'll NEVER forget} from my sisters boyfriend that he was planning to propose to my sis after the Christmas Eve Service!!!! Say whaaaaa?!!!? I could hardly contain myself {BUT, I did}! He asked.....she said YES! A night we'll never forget!

 This was our year to spend Christmas Eve night with my side of the family {and honestly, probably our last time before we start having Christmas in our own home}! Some of you "The Voice" fans...you might remember a guy named Anthony Evans. He was the special guest at church that night and man, oh man, that guy can sing!!!! *Pictured bottom right with Ella and I! After celebrating Jess and Jeff's engagement, Christmas Eve dinner and getting E down, we spent the next FOUR hours putting together her little kitchen! All I have to say is.....thank the Lord it turned out to be cute or I might still be crying! hehe.....It was such a fun night and day!

 

So there you have a very *mini* recap of our Christmas, but it was just too good not to share! I'm only leaving out about 239 pictures and probably stories, but you can at least get a good idea!!! ;) Wishing you all a very happy Thursday! I'll be back tomorrow for my first Five on Friday of 2014! Yeah!!!!