Happy Monday

Today started off with good intentions.  I woke up a little behind schedule, but still managed to fit a little quiet time in.  The girls were fed and clothed with minimal drama.  I dropped Izzy off at school, and then Harper and I headed to the gym.  We walked in, and the power at the gym had just gone off.  Nobody seemed to know what was going on.  I overheard talk about people stuck in the elevator and that they should have enough oxygen to last awhile.  What the what?!  It was chaotic, and we very quickly turned around and walked out.

Hey, no problem, Monday.  I got this.  We will just go home and run in the neighborhood with the jogging stroller.  It's a beautiful day, and I probably should have just planned on running outside all along.  (These are the kind of things I was trying to tell myself in order to remain calm, cool, and collected after driving 25 minutes to the gym for no good reason.)  I talked up Harper's fun ride in the stroller as best I know how on the drive home.  Inside the house we went to gather up snacks, drinks, keys, etc., and then we headed back out to the garage to load up in the jogging stroller.  Only, this is what we found.

So, we took the umbrella stroller out for a quick walk, and then we went back to the house and ate cake.  I mean, I felt like it was the right thing to do.  

Happy Monday, Friends!

Layered Frames

We checked a bunch of stuff off our to-do list this weekend, and it feels good!  One of the major players was the dining room frame wall.  You may recall my indecisive template OCD from this post a few weeks ago.

I decided to go with Option #2.  Here's a reminder of what that layout looked like.  

I really liked the 2x2 and 3x3 grids, but I started to worry that there would be too much grid going on with the frames and our feature wall...a thought that didn't even cross my mind until I taped the templates up on the wall.  OCD for the win.  

It's a miracle that our marriage survived this little project.  These babies were a pain to hang, but SO worth it.  I love the way it turned out, and I'm so happy I don't have to stare at that blank wall anymore! 

I was planning on putting black and white photos of the girls in the big frames, but then I remembered that I had these 8x10 prints from one of the Me & My Big Ideas Art Pad I picked up at Michael's.  I know I've talked about these art pads before, but you guys, these are regularly $14.99 and they were 70% off at Michael's a few weeks ago.  Umm, that's like $4.50 by my math.  Crazy.  These prints were just going to be a temporary filler until I ordered the photos, but we are kind of digging them, so I think they will stay awhile.  The center frame is holding a Julia Child quote that I just found online and printed until I can find something I like better.   

This is the pad that has the pig and cow prints.  I really didn't have a plan for any of these prints, but apparently I'll buy anything for $4.50.  Luckily it worked out in this case.

Five on Friday

Both kids are napping, the weekend is here, and I'm sipping on a DC from Whataburger (because...classy).  Life is good.  I had no idea what I was going to write today until I started typing, so it's kind of all over the place, which I guess is nothing new.  

ONE. We have no plans tonight or tomorrow, and I couldn't be happier about that.  It feels like we have been playing catch-up for weeks, and I'm sooo excited to have a slow weekend coming our way.

TWO. After church on Sunday, I'm heading to lunch with three of my best friends to celebrate one of our bestie's birthday.  Gotta love girlfriends and fun traditions....and any lunch that includes wine.  Happy birthday, Tracy (aka Terry, aka Martha)!

THREE. Harper and I went to MOPS today while Izzy was at school.  I woke up feeling rather lazy, and toyed with the idea of skipping today.  I'm so glad I didn't.  Our guest speaker was a Child Psychiatrist who talked about the love languages of children.  I came away with some great information, and a better picture of the parent I want to be for my daughters.  I'd call that a win.  I will likely dedicate a post to what I gleaned from his talk next week.  

FOUR. I came across two blog posts this week that really spoke to where I am in this stage of my life.  Being a stay at home mom is a huge blessing, and a privilege that I do not take for granted, but there are so many days when I feel like "just a mom."  It is so refreshing to read something that validates my feelings and confirms that they are totally normal for this season of life.  They are both definitely worth a read:

What I Miss (And Don't Miss) About Working Outside the Home via House Tweaking

31 Days of Breaking Bread: For When You're Feeling Small via Blue Eyed Bride

FIVE.  I feel like I need these shoes.  That is all.

via Nordstrom

Happy Friday, friends!  I hope you all have a fun weekend, and as always, thanks for stopping by!!  Linking up with Hello Happiness, Momfessionals, and September Farm again this week!

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Photography for Dummies

Griff took these photos of the girls a few weeks ago, and I just love them.  We were out playing in the driveway, and the evening light was perfect.  Photos like these make me realize that we need to start using our camera more often.  We have a Nikon D7000, but most often, we just take pictures with our iPhones.  To tell you the truth, I don't really even know how to use our camera.  I mean, I've got the whole point and shoot thing down, but as far as understanding how everything works, what settings to use, and what it's really capable of...not so much.  Griff and I have talked about taking an online photography course of some sort for awhile now.  Listen, we aren't trying to start a photography business here.  We just want to take beautiful photos of our children, vacations, etc., and I think it would be something fun to learn together.  I've been looking at the Photography 101 class from Shoot Fly Shoot, and I think it might be a good option for us.  If you have any experience with this course, or something similar, I'd love to hear your thoughts.  

Go For The Gold

I've got several little projects going on over here.  As much as I try to tell myself "One room at a time," that's always easier said than done.  Currently, an accent table for the office, a flower pot for the front yard, and a playroom ceiling treatment are all in the works.  Makes sense to me.  Hoping to have them all wrapped up next week and ready to share.  Here's a little sneak peak in the meantime. I know the gold dipped look has been around for awhile, but I'm really digging it.  I had this accent table that I thought would be the perfect candidate for the gold treatment.  Hoping to finish it up tonight, and I can't wait to get it back into the office!

Here are a few gold-dipped inspiration pics:  

via Honey Bear Lane

via Burlap and Lace

via Project Nursery

Five on Friday

ONE.  I'm kind of obsessed with the Walmart Savings Catcher app.  Grocery stores are lacking around here, and although Walmart can be a huge beat down at times, I find myself there at least once a week for groceries.  If you aren't familiar with the Savings Catcher app, it allows you to scan each receipt, and it will compare your purchases with a ton of other stores.  If a better price is found at a competitor, you will be credited that amount.  I have only been using it for two weeks, but for two receipts, I have gotten $6.00 back.  Not huge, but I will certainly take it, and this will definitely add up over the course of a couple of months.  You can use your credit toward your next purchase, or you can save them until they reach a higher amount.  Isn't this super cool, or am I just easily amused?

TWO.  I was making my bed yesterday, and the comforter ripped as I was pulling it up.  I texted Griff to tell him the news.  This man knows me well.

THREE.  I've done a tiny bit of fall decorating indoors, but now I'm on a mission to spread a little fall cheer outdoors as well.  Pumpkins and some new fall flowers are on the agenda this weekend!

FOUR.  Also on the agenda is this disaster of a closet.  Out of control doesn't even begin to cover it.

FIVE.  Harper and I met some friends from our MOPS group at the park this morning.  We could not have asked for better weather.  Gorgeous day!

Happy Friday, Friends!  Hope you all have a great weekend!  Linking up with Hello Happiness, Momfessionals, and September Farm.

Good Food and Broken Stuff

Looks like this week has almost gotten away from me.  It happens.  I was so happy to welcome Monday this week.  Griff was gone from Thursday morning to Sunday afternoon, and while I love my children dearly, mama was ready to lock herself in her room for a break.

Over the weekend, I tried two new recipes, and I thought they were both worth sharing as they were quite tasty.

John Wayne Casserole - recipe and photo credit found here

I made this casserole early in the day, and put it in the fridge without baking it.  I took it to my parents' house for dinner that night, so I just baked it over there.  This recipe would be perfect to make for new moms, sick friends, potlucks, etc.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread - recipe and photo credit found here

This stuff is amazing.  It is especially good if you warm it up and slap either a little butter on it...or, if you really want to get fancy, some brown sugar and cinnamon cream cheese.  Not that I would know or anything.  Ahem.  My little sidekick helped with the zucchini bread.  She was a skeptic at first.  "Zucchini is gross.  Nobody will want to eat this."  Sweet little dear.

Don't worry.  She quickly changed her tune.  "Harper I tried that pumpkin cornbread (ha!), and it was delicious!"

Thank ya'll so much for the feedback on the picture frames.  I've decided to go with option #2.  One of the frames arrived yesterday...completely shattered.  Awesome.