Fresh and Fancy

Sometimes Life is Crazy.

2019-03-29T15:16:00.000-05:00

"This is a really great Children's hospital. I hope we never have to spend any time here with our child someday"

"You know, 23 weeks is the new age of viability."

The first statement was said by me to Lauren walking in to Medical City to visit my cousin who had just delivered her baby. I was about 7 weeks pregnant.

The second statement was said to me by a girl who I had just met that day. She was a previous NICU nurse, and I remember that statement sticking with me. We talked about how far medicine has come, and what amazing things they can do now for babies so little...I was about 20 weeks pregnant then. It was kind of crazy looking back. I truly believe this encounter was a way for the Lord to prepare my heart for what was go come.

I told you, life is crazy.

I remember waking up that Wednesday after her delivery about noon after sleeping a few hours. It was time to pump. I pumped religiously every 3 hours for the first 5 weeks, then chilled out a bit at week 5-7 as things weren't progressing, and some of Davis' nurses and the lactation nurse took the guilt away from me and said it was time to stop trying to make something happen that just wasn't. BUT, that will be a completely different post!

Backing up...in my delivery, my doctor knew right away that my amniotic fluid was infected when she opened me up. Remember, Davis had been halfway in the birth canal and halfway in my uterus for two days....so we were both at risk for an infection during that time. There was initially some uncertainty on if I had an infection that caused me to go into preterm labor, or if I had something called an "Incompetent Cervix" that caused me to go into labor. (I know...it sounds super insulting/rude as my brother in law stated. He's right...they really should find another name for it!)

Normally, when women are diagnosed with IC, they go into labor around 17-20 weeks with no chance to save the baby. My OB told me the fact that this happened at 23 weeks with an opportunity to give Davis a chance was much more rare, so they wanted to wait on the cultures to come back on Davis first. If she did not have an infection yet, then they would know that I developed this over the last 2 days. Not something I had prior, that may have caused my labor.

This was a major concern for us in the early couple days, that Davis may already be born with an infection. Amazingly, her cultures came back negative, which was a huge advantage for her early on. With this result, the verdict was that I indeed had IC. My OB came and talked to me about it a day or two later. I remember just crying and retracing the previous week and asking her if her was anything I could have done differently. I had worked out really hard the day before...did that cause it? I just remember feeling guilt that I had to work through. Even though she reassured me there was literally nothing I could have done differently, I still struggled with a feeling of responsibility. This was just one of those things in life that happened, and we could not have predicted or prevented with the way my pregnancy had gone so smoothly.

Fast forward to Wednesday afternoon...I was stuck in bed, super swollen, had not showered since Sunday night and was dying to shower and shave my legs. I still had my epidural in and catheter and waited all day it seemed to get them out. I remember my nurse was a little worried about me getting sicker, and called the doctor to order some lasix to pull off some of the fluid. That worked amazing, and I started to feel so much better. I was on some pretty heavy antibiotics and had to stay in the hospital until Sunday morning because of that. Thankfully, everything on me trended in the right direction, I was able to finally get out of bed to shower around 4pm. There was the sweetest tech there that helped me. I literally still couldn't feel my right leg that much, but after being in bed since Sunday, I really didn't care...I was getting out of bed whether they let me or not. If I fell, I really didn't care...I was taking a shower! (I know, I was that patient!)

I remember being nervous to see Davis, and I was hesitant to go down there a lot. She was on the 4th floor and I was on the 9th floor. I had never been in a NICU before. I had been on pediatric units, but never a NICU. It is very different. It was so sad to me at first. Super overwhelming. New concepts, new words, new rules. Just a lot to process. Lauren wheeled me down there, and I just remember how tiny she was. I remember telling her hello and talking to her. I also remember being really guarded and afraid to get close to her. I met Dr. August that day, and she quickly became my favorite neonatologist. She is the most calm, cautiously optimistic, and kind doctor. She is so smart and just the perfect fit for the career she has. She told us that Davis was doing well, but that micro preemies have what is called a "honeymoon phase". Usually the first 3 days they do really well, then we may start to see some issues. She also told us about her lines in her belly button that they placed and the medicines she was on to keep her blood pressure up. She told us that she would get a head ultrasound a few days later to check for brain bleeds. She told us these were very common in babies Davis' size, and it would give us a good indication of the course she might take. That was probably the first hurdle I can identify that I focused on that first week. I wanted so desperately for her little brain to be ok.

Looking at her in her isolette, she didn't feel like my baby. I really had just gotten used to the idea that I was actually pregnant when we had her 20 week ultrasound and found out she was a girl. I kept struggling to believe that we really had a baby, and I was looking at her. It was the strangest experience. I was very afraid to love her at first. I guarded my heart that first week or two. I didn't feel a connection to her for a while, and I'm here to say that that is ok. Feel all the feelings. Process all the emotions. But don't let the fear overtake you. At some point, I had to just trust the Lord that He is GOOD. This outcome may not be, but we are in this, and we have to see it through as her parents.

Something I said about a billion times during our NICU stay, and it's even in some of our videos, is "this is crazy".

I just couldn't help myself. As I remember the statement I made at 7 weeks and the conversation I had at 20 weeks...all I can really say is, life is just crazy. Crazy good, crazy bad, crazy scary, crazy amazing. Sometimes, there will be statements, events, conversations, people, and experiences that just make it all so clear. We are all woven together in this crazy fabric of events that is life. It all has a purpose. Even the things that may seem insignificant at the time. It all matters...and it's pretty freaking crazy :)

Keep following along if you like as we share more of our journey!

Davis' Birth Story ~ The Hopeful Story of a 23 Weeker

2019-03-09T22:07:00.004-06:00

Davis’ Story

On Sunday September 30^th, the day started out normal. I had just hit 23 weeks. Lauren and I went to Watermark’s 11:15 A.M. service, and I felt the baby kicking high up in my belly during the sermon.

One song during the service made me tear up and became an anthem for the next couple of days. I held the baby in my belly during the song agreeing with the lyrics of the song… not knowing what was to come…

“We trust you, We trust you, Your ways are higher than our own”

You are who say You are
You'll do what You say You'll do
You'll be who You've always been to us
Jesus
Our hope is in You alone
Our strength in Your mighty name
Our peace in the darkest day remains
Jesus

This we know
We will see the enemy run
This we know
We will see the victory come
We hold on to every promise You ever made
Jesus, You are unfailing

Our God through the wilderness
And our joy in the heaviness
Our way when it seems there is no way
Jesus

This we know
We will see the enemy run
This we know
We will see the victory come
We hold on to every promise You ever made
Jesus, You are unfailing

We trust You, we trust You
Your ways are higher than our own
We trust You, we trust You
Your ways are higher than our own
We trust You, we trust You
Your ways are higher than our own
We trust You
In all things we trust You
Your ways are mightier than our own

This we know
We will see the enemy run
This we know
We will see the victory come
We hold on to every promise You ever made
Jesus, You are unfailing
This we know
We will see the enemy run
This we know
We will see the victory come
We hold on to every promise You ever made
Jesus, You are unfailing
Jesus, You are unfailing

We trust You, we trust You
Your ways are higher than our own
We trust You, we trust You
Your ways are higher than our own

We trust You
In all things we trust You
Your ways are higher than our own
Forever we trust You
We trust You
Your ways are higher than our own

After the service, Lauren and I went to Northpark Mall to get makeup from MAC for me, went home, let the dogs out, ate a quick lunch and headed to Central Market Plano for a British car display. We said hello to some of Lauren’s new Jaguar friends.

We walked around Central Market, ate samples and looked at RoRo’s on the shelf.

Afterward, I remember feeling really tired and went home to take a 2 hour nap.

After waking up, I made a late dinner with extras to eat for the week (Roro’s pork chops and made mashed potatoes in the InstantPot). I was busy that night getting ready for the week (cleaning, loading dishwasher). I had to be at work at 6:00 AM and wanted to be prepared for the busy week ahead.

At 9:30 PM, I sat on the couch with my computer. At 9:45 PM, I started having some cramps. I noticed it was happening on and off and thought it was strange. I went to the restroom thinking it could be a typical constipation pregnancy symptom but when I came back from the restroom, it was happening again. I started to look down at my iphone and pay attention to the timing of the cramping. After I realized it was happening every 2-3 minutes, I looked over at Lauren and said, “I think I’m cramping like every 2-3 minutes. Do you think I should call my Doctor?”. I began to google “Braxton Hicks” and it said if you have had more than 5 in an hour to call your Doctor. Whatever this was, I had definitely had more than 5 already. Since they were pretty mild, just regular, we decided to hold off, and I went to lay down in bed for a few minutes. At 10:30 PM they were still happening, and I decided to call the on call OB because it I got a little nervous. Dr. Brothers returned my call and asked if I was dehydrated. She advised me to take some Tylenol and drink 2-3 glasses of water. She told me if it didn’t stop in an hour or two that I needed to come into labor and delivery that night, and if it stopped, they wanted to see me in the office in the morning to make sure everything was ok. I remember being really surprised that she recommended I might need to go to the hospital that night and had to ask where Labor and Delivery was because we had not done any hospital tours yet of L&D. Of course we didn’t have any Tylenol, so Lauren went out to pick some up at Kroger. During this time, I had been calling my Mom with updates and asking if any of this was normal. I also texted my friends Sarah & Torrey to see if they were awake to check if this ever happened to them. Lauren got back home at 11:05 P.M. and I took 2 Tylenol and continued to rest and drink water.

By midnight, the cramping became stronger and was still 2- 3 minutes apart. We went back and forth about if we should wait another 15 minutes or not before going to hospital. I kept thinking that we both had to work early in the morning and I didn’t want to have to pay a hospital co-pay if it was nothing. I didn’t feel right about what was going on, and the cramping was starting to become stronger. I just had a feeling that something was wrong. I changed clothes, and with not very many things (chargers, my purse, my trusty camel back, comfy clothes), we headed to Medical City Dallas Hospital (where I had planned to deliver...which also happens to be a Level 4 NICU...something else I hadn't even thought about). I had assumed they would give me medicine to make the cramping stop and then we would head home. I remember saying this in the car on the way there to Lauren. I really thought I would just take something and go home that night. I still had no idea I was in labor.

We parked on the 2^ndfloor and I nervously walked in ahead of Lauren. Looking back, I realize I absolutely should not have been walking! I remember we initially went to the wrong floor. Ugh! I also had to pee really bad from all the water I was drinking. I was also definitely feeling self conscious that all the nurses probably thought I was over reacting.

In triage, I met my nurse Carly who walked us into the triage room where I changed into a hospital gown. She was really nice and tried to reassure me that it was probably just round ligament pain or Braxton hicks…and that it would be rare that is was something serious. She left the room and I changed. I had a strong contraction before Carly came back in, and I started to get scared. I had really strong tail bone pressure with the contraction. Carly came back in and did a swab to check for hormones to see if I was in active labor or not. I had a strong contraction during the swab, and she had to stop. She checked my cervix and calmly told me she thought she felt the amniotic sac, but wanted to get another nurse to check also. The other nurse came in and confirmed that she felt the same thing. I remember a 3^rdnurse came in, and they all immediately wheeled me in to a Labor & Delivery room 10. This is when things got real crazy real quick. In the L&D room, there were about 10-11 people in the room right away busily getting everything ready. I was transferred to another bed having contractions and immediately felt the urge to push. Lauren repeatedly tried to call my parents, but couldn’t get a hold of them. I remember urging him to keep trying to call and text. Lauren remembers them flipping on the warmer for the baby’s bed, which freaked him out. They started an IV and immediately gave me a steroid shot in my hip for the baby’s lungs. It was a very chaotic yet organized surreal experience. They had Lauren sign consent forms for both me and the baby. They told me I would be getting really hot soon because they would be giving me a bolus of magnesium to help the baby and stop contractions. I immediately felt hot and flushed. They put in a catheter and turned me on my side. I kept having urges to push so they had an anesthialogist come in to give me an epidural to stop the urge to push. I remember while being on my side for the epidural, locking eyes with Lauren and us both just thinking..."What is happening?!"

Sometime in the midst of the chaos, the charge nurse, Julie, grabbed my hand and said “I want you to know I had a baby at 23 weeks. You can do this. Just give her a chance.” I remember being laser focused on her in this moment and she truly was an angel to me that night. The rest is pretty fuzzy. We finally got a hold of my parents and I remember them getting there to my room. We cried, hugged, and were just all in shock I think. I remember them giving me lidocaine through my epidural because it took a while for it to kick in. I remember them putting me in the Trendelenburg position to keep my feet higher in hopes to keep baby in and help her migrate up. Dr. Brothers also came into the room at some point and did a sonogram. She could see that I was already 6cm dilated and the baby’s feet and legs were in the birth canal with her body and head still in my uterus. She discussed with us that since I was no longer pushing, and contractions had slowed down that we would keep me in this position and get another ultrasound around 8am in the morning to see if she had migrated back up into my uterus. If she had, I could be a candidate for a procedure called a “Cerclage” to sew my cervix shut to keep her in for many more weeks. If not, then we would just stay like I was and wait as long as we could before delivering her. I remember the contractions slowing down and the urge to push stopped sometime around 3am I looked at the clock on the wall. Multiple people told me that night, that even if I could just get to 24 weeks, that would be huge. I didn’t sleep much that night. I laid there, thinking, praying, and honestly I was terrified of what our future held. I went from having a perfect and easy pregnancy to not knowing if my baby would ever have a normal life, much less survive. I honestly didn’t know what was next for us.

The next morning around 8am, the high risk OB came in to do the ultrasound. Without too much TMI, I already knew I would not be able to get a Cerclage. I knew she had not moved from where she was because I could feel her kicking in the birth canal. Flutters that felt like they had felt when she was in my uterus. The ultrasound showed what I had suspected and that Davis was hanging tight where she was. I was still around 6cm dilated. I remember the conversation being pretty grim. I was told Davis was measuring small, around 13oz (370 grams). I was told a lot of things that morning, but the main takeaway was that babies under 500 grams typically will not do well at all and my baby was not measuring 500 grams. I remember saying “Are you sure? She was 13 oz three weeks ago at my 20 week appointment and was measuring perfect.” Her response was, “I am pretty confident in my measurements.” I remember being so frustrated and confused. How could Davis still be the same size? I knew that those measurements are not always accurate, but still. Three weeks is a lot of time in the world of gestation…she had to be bigger. This doctor told Lauren and I to talk together and decide by later in the day if we wanted all measures taken to resussitate Davis if I were to go into labor that day or evening. They needed a plan to know what to do, since 23 weeks and her measurements were still such a gray area for viability. I struggled hard with this. There were a lot of tears. I remember saying a lot, “I just want to give her a chance.” I also remember saying a lot, “I don’t want her to suffer.” As a former ICU nurse, I struggled with this immensely that day. I wanted to protect Davis from a very poor quality of life. I absolutely did not want her to suffer in any way. We came to the conclusion that this was our baby. We had to give her a chance. If she was not going to do well, she would let us know and we could then decide what was best for her if she was suffering in any way. Literally every healthcare professional who came in my room that day I asked, “Have you ever seen a 23 weeker do well with no issues?” or some variation of that question. I was desperate. I went from a perfectly normal pregnancy to the idea that I may have a child with severe disabilities and needs that I wasn’t prepared for if she survived. It rocked my world to the core. So many emotions, so many feelings, such a test of my faith.

I had visitors that day. My cousins, Aunt, and a couple of my girlfriends. My OB, Dr. McCants came by early and just cried and hugged me in my bed. I remember her saying as she walked in..."What happened?! Everything was perfect!" She was so sweet, and we talked through it all. I literally had no signs. She brought me back to reality and told me that I would indeed be here at the hospital until I delivered my baby. I was not going home. I cried a lot and was just trying to process it all. At some point later that day a neonatologist came in and rattled off a bunch of statistics related to gestational age and the prognosis that correlated with that. I was told that my first goal would be to stay pregnant until 25 weeks. If I could do that, the risks went down significantly for Davis and her future. I learned that day that a baby at 24 or 25 weeks is still very early, but statistically much more promising than a baby born at 23 weeks. I had no idea how valuable literally each day is for a baby in utero. This conversation was really a blur, because I was over all the statistics at that point.

The high risk OB returned later around 5pm to see what our answer was. I told her, we wanted to give her a chance and she agreed to this plan. I asked her if she thought I could stay pregnant until 25 weeks, and she did not. She felt very certain that this baby was going to be delivered soon. Probably a matter of days was her prediction.

Soon it was shift change and my amazing nurse Stephanie arrived. She would take care of me that night and the next and became so dear to me during this process. She was such a gift from the Lord to me during those two nights. I had an epidural and I wasn’t hurting very much. We had the baby on the monitor and her heart rate was strong. The night wasn’t too eventful. Lauren was able to sleep and my parents had gone home. At some point in the middle of the night, my catheter stopped draining. I was feeling pressure and it was a whole saga for a couple hours to try to figure out what was wrong. Nothing was working. While Stephanie was at lunch she later told me that she couldn’t stop thinking about my catheter…haha…and that she should just change it. So, when she came back, she did, and I was instantly cured! I share this part, because I always want to remember that she truly cared about me. Enough to think about me and my catheter the whole time on her lunch break! I was able to rest some, and then told Stephanie bye that morning. My only goal for her that day was to still be pregnant when she returned that night!

Tuesday was pretty slow. The high risk OB returned and was pleasantly surprised that I was still pregnant! The plan then changed since I had not gone into labor again yet. They would take out my epidural and then 12 hours later start me on a blood thinner to prevent blood clots since I was going to be on complete bed rest indefinitely. They also stopped my constant IV of magnesium around this time as well. They told me that it would be likely for me to get it again if the contractions started and that sometimes it is a back and forth process with this kind of thing. I had some visitors throughout the day and was really tired. I started to also get really sore in my lower back I think as the epidural wore off. Mentally, I began to wonder how in the world would I lay flat like this for two weeks. It was all starting to set in that this was going to be a long process. I kept thinking, “I have to be somewhere”…only to remind myself, nope you are not going anywhere! I had Lauren type up a few emails for me that day to try to keep our business afloat in our busy season, and we began to try to figure out how to manage all of this with me being on complete bedrest.

That night, my friend Lindsey came to visit and my sister from Ohio sent us PF Chang’s for dinner. I wasn’t that hungry, but had a few bits of rice and we watched This Is Us in my room. My back was SO sore and Lindsey gave me a massage which was amazing! I also remember starting to feel really wheezy from laying flat and it was driving me crazy, so I asked for a breathing treatment, which helped! I just could not get comfortable. The plan was for Lauren to go home and get some sleep, and my mom would stay with me that night. About 45 minutes after Lauren & Lindsey left, I started to get more feelings of pressure and lower tailbone pressure which started to scare me. I called my nurse Stephanie in and she looked at my monitors to see what was going on. It appeared I was having contractions and back in labor, and she called Dr. Peveto who was on call from my OB practice that night.

Within about 30 minutes the doctor was in my room going over our options. They had restarted the magnesium and I was immediately hot and flushed again. She did a sonogram and looked over all of my records and previous sonograms over the last 2 days and decided to check to see how dilated I was currently. They had not been doing that because they did not want to risk breaking my water, however at this point, this was information she needed to know in order to decide what we needed to do. She checked me and I was a 10. No cervix at all that she could even feel. She was calm, thorough, and to the point….this baby needed to be delivered…and it was her medical opinion that it needed to be done now by a C-Section in order to give her the best chance at life. The risk of a vaginal delivery was too dangerous. She talked to me about head entrapment and how this was a concern of hers that could happen if we waited. We asked for a few minutes to discuss as a family. By this time, Lauren and my Dad were back with us in the room. I remember just losing it at this point and weeping. I had just wrapped my head around the concept that I was staying pregnant and going to stick this thing out for another week or two. Now, I was being told that she needed to come out immediately. I was heartbroken at the fact that our daughter would be born severely early and processing the idea that she may be severely disabled because of it just broke me. I remember my Mom and Lauren talking me through this. I was mentally and physically exhausted, and I needed to get my head and my heart ready to meet whatever would come next for us. As they were getting me ready, my nurse Stephanie came up to me and asked if they were not able to get the breathing tube in her would they want them to come lay her on my chest. I remember pausing and decided, that yes I would. As traumatic as it would be, I knew I would need that moment with our daughter. This may sound stupid, but in that moment, I thought that the reason they wouldn't be able to get a tube in would be if she was just a really difficult intubation. But no, the real reason was there was a high probability that she was just too small...that her airway may be too small for the smallest size breathing tube to even fit. That blew my mind.

They continued to get me and the OR ready. They started my epidural (which was it’s own saga). It would only numb one side of my body, so in the OR they had to remove it and start another one…and I almost killed my anesthesiologist. I remember feeling SO groggy, like I almost couldn’t breath. I think they overmedicated me, because I was so out of it and was literally just telling myself over and over again….”just breath!” I was so afraid that I would fall asleep/pass out. It was the strangest feeling. I got sick and threw up as they were getting me ready...which totally sucked. My sweet husband was just right there with me through it. I remember feeling a lot of pressure in my abdomen throughout, and really don’t think my epidural was how it should have been.

I remember someone from the NICU team coming over to me, who I later grew to love named Brittany and she asked me, “What’s her name?”. I just lost it and through tears answered her...“Davis”. I was so caught up in everything, that I completely didn’t think that they would treat us like normal. She made me feel that I was really delivering my daughter and that it was something to celebrate.

At 1:40am October 3rd, little Davis was born. She had 2 little cries and I was not expecting that at all. We were told minutes later that they did get her breathing tube in! They would not be laying her on my chest. She was going straight to the NICU and she would be given a chance! The neonatologist in the OR that night came over to us minutes after she was born and told us the grim statistics and that Davis was small. She told us that she had a 15% chance of living a normal life and an 85% chance of being severely disabled if she survived. This stayed with me that night and the next several weeks. I was so afraid to lose her and what a life would look like for us.

I stayed in the OR and they closed me up, and Lauren went with Davis to the NICU. I found out months later that Lauren kept saying “Come on little girl, come on little girl”. That just melted me. I just love that he stayed so positive through all of it. He was my rock. I was taken to recovery for about two hours and I remember Lauren coming in and telling me that she was doing really well. I remember being so surprised and was just so guarded and afraid of getting hurt. Recovery was rough. I had horrible shaking from the anesthesia/epidural and it hurt SO bad. My abdominal muscles were literally killing me, and I just remember that being the worst pain ever. I just could not stop shaking like crazy. They finally gave me some Demerol and they started to subside. A lactation nurse immediately hooked me up to a breast pump…another surprise that I was not expecting. I later found out how valuable breast milk would be to Davis, which is why they start this process of pumping every 3 hours immediately after delivery. Julie also came to visit me while I was in recovery. She was seriously like an angel that just popped out of no where during those 3 days for me. I loved her and I needed her in those moments. When I saw her, I remember just crying and saying, “they told me she only has a 15% chance…” She immediately shot that down and told me not to focus on that. She told me that this particular doctor loves statistics, and just to let Davis show us what she will do. Don’t listen to the statistics at this point. I absolutely needed to hear that in that moment.

They eventually wheeled me on my bed over to the NICU, and I remember them backing my bed into room 454 to meet my daughter for the first time. I remember very little from this moment. I was literally exhausted, and she was so covered up in her little isolette and plastic tent, that I really couldn’t see much. I remember seeing some of her nurses writing things down and saying hello to me…other than that, I was spent. They took me over to my new post partum room, and I sadly said goodbye to my nurse Stephanie. I was able to get a little sleep, and when I woke up, began to slowly process what had just happened. The real journey was about to begin. Davis was here, she was strong, and she would show us who she was….and that she was definitely not a statistic.

…to be continued…

O, The Oprah Magazine Feature!

2015-11-05T15:42:00.000-06:00

A quick hello and to announce our Cinn-A-Rolls are featured in this month's O, The Oprah Magazine! Could not be more excited!!

xoxo,

Amy

QVC Today!

2014-12-15T10:41:00.003-06:00

Hi Friends!! Today is the day our little company is going to be live on QVC between 3-5pm central time for a Gourmet Holiday show! Please tune in to see me sharing our story and how my grandmother's Cinn-A-Rolls have been a tradition in my family for years that we are now sharing with millions today! I have been absent on the blog lately, because I have been so busy! This is truly a dream come true for our growing company and I wanted to loop ya'll in! Feel free to watch, and get yourself some RoRo's for Christmas!! Orders can be called in during the airing, or ordered online! Thanks and would love for you to tune in!!

Wednesday Randoms & Rosemary Beach!

2014-08-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

We are on the final countdown to vacation...we leave Saturday morning, and I cannot wait! My husband and I are going to meet my parents, sisters, brother-in-law, and adorable nieces in Rosemary Beach, FL on Saturday for a week. I'll give a tour of our amazing house next week! So so excited! If you haven't been to Rosemary Beach, you should put it on your list...it's seriously my most favorite place ever. We try to go every year or two. It is a small beach town with shops, restaurants, and we ride bikes everywhere...doesn't get much better.

We plan to make lots of iced coffees, juice, and make s'more's bars...I can't think of a more winning combination! Also lot's of walks, beach time, shopping, reading, relaxing, movies, naps, seaside visits, and so much more!

In other random news...I recently bought these for Fall! Essie Bahama Mama & Smokin' Hot.

I've been into painting my own nails lately, so I thought I would invest in some new Fall colors. This week, I painted mine nude with a fun glitter ring finger!

I know this is also pretty random, but I am obsessed with this Fall outfit. I pinned it forever ago, but just love it all...I love to knit, and am working on a similar scarf for this year...it's taking forever, but I love this style.

And finally to add to this random post, we've got the world's most snuggley dog, Tucker :) Makes my heart full.

Thanks for reading this random post full of a few things that are making me happy at the moment...Have a great day!

Living Room Tour - Recent Updates!

2014-08-04T20:36:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I have shared our house on my blog. There have been so many changes and additions. You can see how these rooms looked shortly after we moved in here. I've sold things, bought things, diy'd things, been given things, rearranged things...it goes on and on. But, here is the state of our living room and dining room today! Hope you enjoy!

This is what you will typically see in our house...a dog :)

Here's a sneak peak into our kitchen.

Hope everyone has had a great Monday!

New Cozy Living Room Chair & Living Room Sneak Peak!

2014-08-02T17:49:00.001-05:00

Today I finally got a chair in the style I have been wanting for a while. I sold 4 of our chairs this week that I liked..but didn't love. Two were a pair of cane back chairs I found off the side of the road. I painted and recovered them, and I liked them...but just didn't have the best place for them. They were pretty, but just not that practical for living room seating since they were so old. I also had two wingback chairs I bought a while back and had intentions of recovering...but never did. I had wanted them as end chairs for our dining table, but when we added my grandmother's high boy dresser, there was no room in our long narrow living/dining area. They were more narrow and not the best for relaxing. So, today was the day for a cozy chair. I found it at Marshall's! You can find a very similar chair here...although I paid about half this price. Ours has a removable cushion, but both style chairs were available in store. We bought this style for easier cleaning.

I wanted something that would be great to read a book in, drink coffee, and look out the window on a rainy day....ahh the perfect day :) Here are two shots, and I'll share a full room update since a lot has changed later this week!

Here it is in the room...Everything is really coming together. I would like to add one more floor lamp to go behind the chair to balance out that left side, and be a good spot to read. But other than that, this room is D-O-N-E! More pictures coming!

Happy Weekend!

Woohoo for the Weekend!

2014-08-01T11:39:00.002-05:00

I always love Fridays. Who doesn't? It's the end of a long week, and the anticipation of the weekend makes it that much sweeter. Tonight we are going to see a movie, which we haven't done in forever..then go to Barnes & Noble and read magazines...my most favorite thing ever! When I was growing up my Dad would take me on Daddy-Daughter dates. I would always request that we go to Barnes & Noble and read magazines. I just always loved the atmosphere and catching up on my favorite reads. So tonight, I'm going on a husband date, and that's what I chose :)

We had a great anniversary, and my husband really got creative this year and did some sweet things to make me feel loved. My parents also sent us this beautiful flower arrangement.

Here are a couple shots from the day. He filled each balloon with a word describing us. He had me pop each one, and then he would explain what it meant. It was so sweet, and he was pretty proud of his creativity :)

The last several days, we have had unusually low temperatures here in Dallas. It is making me so so excited for Fall if you can't tell :) It's my absolute favorite season. I love everything about it, and now that it is August 1st, (and my half birthday!) I think it's ok to start talking about it. So, here we go:

I am loving these new grey Gap leggings to sleep in. They look so cozy and like something I will be living in over the next few months. I also really love this handbag! Perfect for a weekend getaway.

I've also been really into Pinterest lately. I go in waves...sometimes I am really into it, then I'll go months without looking at it. This is definitely a pinning season for me, ha! The Fall pins are killing me and giving me all sorts of good ideas. I'm a huge Auburn Football fan, so each Saturday for the games, I love to make a new dip to have while we cheer on the Tigers. I've got 30 more days to go, but here's what's on my agenda for those fun Fall weekends ahead. All recipes can be found on my Pinterest Recipe Board.

This Creamy Bacon Parmesan dip from Buns In My Oven is amazing. I made it last year, and it is definitely on the list again to make this Fall.

via

I'm sure the next few weeks will be filled with fun Fall posts, but until then, here's a little preview of what's to come! Have a wonderful weekend!

A Lesson In Marriage ~ 4 Years

2014-07-30T19:30:00.000-05:00

Four years ago on this day I married my husband. We never really had one of those easy relationships. We had our struggles from the get go. We were two very different people trying to merge our lives together.

To give you a little background, we met in college on our first day. There was an initial attraction, but no interest in actually being in a relationship....especially on his end :) We spent the next two years becoming friends, going back and forth with how we felt about each other...which all led to quite a bit of heartache. Our relationship was pretty out of order. In October of 2005, Lauren told me he had fallen in love with me. Up until this point, we had only been friends...never in a relationship. I of course felt the same way and it was hard to believe at first that this was really how he felt.

We started dating soon after and were pretty serious (obviously, since he told me he loved me!) from the beginning. Although it was all fun and exciting, I still had really strong reservations. I had a lot of deep trust issues with Lauren...some valid, and some due to my own insecurities. Despite that, we were in love. A real, deep, passionate, carefree kind of love. We went on this way for about a year before things got difficult.

We would fight often, but never seemed to want to end the relationship. We took a couple of breaks, but we always came back to each other. This developed some really unhealthy communication and behavior patterns on both of our parts. I became very manipulative and angry and he became very passive and apathetic. This is a horrible combination by the way :)

That didn't stop us from still feeling like we were the person that God had intended us to be with. We still loved each other deeply and didn't have desires for anyone else...but it just felt difficult. Almost at times, like we could never catch a break. This carried on into our marriage for the first several years especially. We had some really dark days and felt isolated at times. We escalated our arguments to a point that I never thought I would see in my marriage. Where was that blissful honeymoon phase? It seemed to have passed us by. We had started a company, which caused even more stress and disconnect between us. The first few years of a new business are just plain hard...add that on top of a new struggling marriage and it is just a disaster. We became very distant, lacked intimacy, and were really just focused on ourselves. On top of this, my husband came down with a health issue that rocked our world as well. He had little energy and was at times not himself.

It was during this time that we began to reach out to our friends and family. Our community group at church became like family to us and they walked through this season with us. Without Christ and forgiveness, there would be no Collins family anymore. I am amazed at the faithfulness that has been shown to us through Jesus and those who truly love us.

I am sharing all this, not to depress you, but to share that marriage struggles are real. Marriage can be really really hard. Had Lauren or I chosen to leave this marriage, and I can promise you we both wanted to...we would have missed out on so much that God has in store for our lives. I'm here to share that even when things get hard, it doesn't mean it's a lost cause. Through these last four years, I have been able to see some really clear issues with myself and how I treat my spouse, and Lauren has done the same. I have realized 4 things about myself that contributed to a really bad marriage initially.

1. I can be very self absorbed. I didn't put Lauren first.

2. I often have high and unrealistic expectations of my spouse.

3. We fundamentally communicate completely differently.

4. I desire to be in control. This can often be exhibited in disrespect for my husband.

Once I started to see these issues, I began to see a pattern over the last several years. Through much discussion, study, grace, and forgiveness, I can honestly say that we are experiencing healing and restoration in our marriage. It is not overnight, but it is a gradual process that has been happening for us. I love my husband deeply. I would do anything for him. I think I just lost sight of this too easily. At our church, they promote the phrase "draw a circle around yourself" a lot. It was annoying to me at first, but it's really so important.

Today, I am so very thankful for 4 years with Lauren. In our wedding we wrote our own vows, and I wanted to reflect on those promises I made.

Lauren,

The moment I met you, I knew there was something special about you. You were so mysterious, cute, and hard to read. But I soon learned how wonderful your heart is. You truly are the most amazing man, and I am so lucky to have you. I know that it's not always going to be easy, and I'm not always going to be lovable. I know we are both going to make mistakes, but I will choose to love you every day. I will choose to put you first and receive everything that you are. I want you to know that this marriage is unconditional to me. I want to grow old with you. I want to have children with you. I want to serve the Lord with you. So, today, I am promising you everything I have. For rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, on the really good days, and on the really bad days, I will stand by your side wherever that may be...and I will love you and support you for the rest of my life.

I love you always and forever,

Amy

House Files

2014-07-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to do is browse through Zillow and Redfin and look at homes. I love to see what's on the market...but really, I love to see how others style their homes. In the past I have shared this adorable little cottage. So, today I'm bringing you a few pictures of a house that I found recently. They did a really good job of maximizing space in their kitchen. We have a small home, so I always love to see how other's make it work.

I love that little area in the kitchen - so functional and cute! The guest room is also so bright and cheerful. Hope ya'll have a wonderful Tuesday! I'll be at the bakery today getting some orders out!

If you have a chance, please visit our Martha Stewart American Made Nomination page! We are in the running to be a finalist, and I would love it if you would share the news! The more shares, the more likely we are to be a finalist!

Fall Scarf Preview

2014-07-28T15:07:00.002-05:00

I love a good scarf. I love wearing them, knitting them, and styling them. Today I'm bringing a few of my favorite picks that are out right now. I am especially loving the black and white striped scarf...would be perfect for October! Scroll through to see some of my favorites!

P.S. Who's going to be watching The Bachelorette finale tonight?!? I know I will!

Pioneer Woman Iced Coffee

2014-07-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, our company participated in Taste of Dallas. We had a booth inside and out and were schlepping warm Cinn-A-Rolls for $1 all weekend. It was super hot, but we had a fun time with our friends who helped us work the crowd. I've never heard so many phrases about a Cinn-A-Roll. They definitely stopped people in their tracks, and supplied a good amount of laughs all weekend. Here are just a few of my favorites our friends came up with...

..."It will change your life!"

..."What is your heart telling you?"

..."4 Quarters...You can't get anything for 4 quarters anymore..."

And my personal favorite...

..."RoRo says YOLO!"

I'm sharing this story because at the event, McDonald's was handing out free coupons for a small iced coffee. I am new to the iced coffee bandwagon and decided to use my coupon to give it a try. To say my life was changed would be a bit dramatic...but also true :) I had about 3 coupons and used them all within a few days. Then I kept finding myself crawling back for more.

So, I had pinned The Pioneer Woman's recipe for iced coffee a while back and finally got the guts to make a batch last night. I halved this recipe and it filled a pitcher about halfway. I think it should last about 1-2 weeks if I have a cup a day...but who's counting...

I followed her instructions and let the coffee steep in a large bowl overnight. Instead of using cheesecloth to strain the coffee (I started out using a coffee filter, and it was taking forever), I used our French Press to filter it. It was much faster and easier to use this method. So, if you have a French Press lying around, I recommend using that.

I filled the glass with Sonic ice, poured coffee to fill about 3/4 of it....then added a few Tbs. of low fat Half and Half. I added a little Splenda as well. The Pioneer Woman has lots of great suggestions on how to flavor it, but I wanted to keep mine around 80 calories if possible.

It's amazing, and I love that it's made for the week! Are any of you on the iced coffee kick?

Stay cool today friends, It's going to be a hot one!

Weekend + Wishlist

2014-07-25T17:30:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday! So glad it is finally the weekend. It feels like we have been going non-stop for the last few weeks. Today, I was able to stay home, and have a relaxing day. Did some much needed organizing of our kitchen desk, and was able to eliminate the massive piles of mail and junk that had taken over. I painted my nails a really pretty nude shade, did the dishes, and a little pre-Fall decorating...I know, I'm crazy, but I just set out one little thing, so that's ok, right?

This is my Fall subway art, that I bring out every year. I will restrain myself from doing anything else until at least the end of August.

I also had some time to catch up on my favorite blogs, and look at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale items and make a little wish list! Here are some of my favorite choices - the first isn't actually on sale, but I would love a pair of these earrings to wear this Fall and Winter!

I also really love this handbag in the Cognac color! It's in the junior's section and the price is amazing!

We have been hitting the gym more lately, so these workout capris would be great not only for the gym, but also running errands as well!

There are so many great items on sale, you should definitely check it out!

I've added a few other items from other stores to my wish list this week...some for now, some for fall!

Hope ya'll have a wonderful weekend - we will be taking it easy, cooking, and just relaxing this weekend. Can't wait!

Fall Preview & Simple Roast Chicken Recipe

2014-07-21T19:25:00.002-05:00

We had the most amazing weekend with beautiful weather! It was in the high 60's and low 70's on Friday and felt amazing. We had some rain earlier in the week, which brought in a cold front with it. For July in Texas, it was a pleasant surprise and sweet Fall preview! That called for some hammock time with Lauren and Tucker outside :)

We got a new coffee table recently, and it is round. I love that its really rustic and the round shape makes it interesting and something different for this area. I am definitely getting the Fall itch...usually happens every July...so coffee and candles are my perfect morning routine. I bought about 5 cinnamon roll (fitting huh?!) candles a few months ago at Kroger on sale for .15 cents each. I've been holding out to light them, and love the way they make our house smell pumpkins and cinnamon.

This weekend, I was grocery shopping and bought a whole chicken. It is amazing how much more cost effective it is to just roast your own chicken. For only $6, you can make a pretty delicious dinner that is really quick and easy. I followed Ina Garten's recipe, found here. I think the key is basting the raw chicken in melted butter, and I also sprinkled truffle salt all over it, which was pretty amazing.

I served it with rice, broccoli and RoRo's Dinn-A-Rolls. It was amazing and a great comfort meal on a Sunday night before a busy week.

Hope ya'll had a great weekend! I'll be trying to blog more especially now that my favorite season is approaching!

Sweet Summertime

2014-06-07T10:26:00.002-05:00

Hello! Can ya'll believe it is already SUMMER?!? I have taken quite some time off from blogging, but that hasn't stopped me from reading my daily favorites every morning. I just have been so busy and have not made the time, but thought I would pop in for a quick update!

Life has been great for us, the business is growing...we just launched our rolls in Whole Foods Stores in the DFW area so that has been so exciting for us!

Also - today is my hubby's 29th birthday! The girls and I brought him some Cinn-A-Rolls and coffee in bed this morning!

Here are some of his gifts - I got him a sound bar for our living room - you can kind of see it in the background on the bottom shelf of the entertainment center - it has blue tooth so we can play music from our computers and iphones/ipads which is pretty cool...we are big music people so I think it will be nice to have in the house.

In a few weeks we will be headed to New York for a big trade show called the Fancy Food Show. There are food companies from all over the world - it will be amazing! I will definitely do a re-cap of how that goes - we have been working on our booth styling and finalizing everything. I had Allison from Mary & Jack on etsy make some custom chalkboard signs and they turned out so cute!! I plan to use these a lot for shows and in store demos of our products!

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Weekend!

2013-09-14T16:07:00.001-05:00

Hope ya'll have a fabulous weekend! Been working in this little shindig...

Will share more pictures next week! You can find the tutorial for the tissue paper garland here!

Hope ya'll are enjoying lots of college football and eating some yummy food today!

WAR EAGLE! :)

Happy Fall!

2013-09-07T16:12:00.000-05:00

Finishing my dining table for the time being...Happy Weekend!

We're Making Progress ~ Master Bedroom

2013-08-29T18:15:00.001-05:00

Hey guys! So I'm happy to say that the sleigh bed is out and we are making progress with our Master Bedroom makeover! With our bed money, we got the Lexington Quilt from West Elm in Gray, and I am really happy with it so far. I wanted a darker quilt to help keep our bed from showing every single dog hair or paw that jumps on the bed...our dogs are spoiled and it definitely showed with an all white bed!

I also received my late grandmother, GB's, old dresser after she passed away this Summer. She read my blog daily back when I posted everyday :) So, I am so happy to be able to blog about the things in our home that have come from her. They are so special to me, and she had amazing style with the pieces she chose to decorate her home with. She spent years going to garage sales and estate sales, and truly had some treasures. Over the next few weeks, I'll show more of the neat furniture we brought into our home from her.

This is the dresser, and I love the shape. I am debating what color to paint both of our dressers...I may go with Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams...it is becoming one of my favorite paint colors to use lately in our house. Who knows what will go above it...a mirror, a gallery wall, a pair of lamps on the dresser?? That will be after all the basics get done first! What I do love about this is the picture on the right of my husband getting baptized when he was 20 years old. Such a neat moment to witness, and it is a great reminder of his love for Christ and our family when I wake up every morning :)

Moving on to the other new details...I also hung three of our wedding photos on a small wall. These frames used to be a dark silver, and I spray painted them white last weekend. I really love how they turned out!

I also painted an antique mirror from my grandmother. It was a weird gold before that just didn't work. Now it is a glossy white!

So here is a shot of the whole room to give you an idea of where we are at...Can't wait to make our tufted headboard! AND - the bed desperately needs a bedskirt...so please ignore that :)

I have finally decided on this pillow combination...I want LOTs of pillows and a big fluffy bed, so I cannot wait for these!

I plan to purchase a yard of this Caitlin Wilson fabric and have my grandmother, (RoRo!) sew two 26x26 Euro size pillows for the shams. I wanted some gold!

Followed by 2 or 3 of these 20x20 size pillows in this Emerald Green Velvet Fabric

I plan to buy a yard of this Windsor Smith for Kravet Riad fabric in Jet and have RoRo make two 18x18 pillows.

With one 14x20 pillow in this raspberry velvet fabric front and center!

What do you think?? I am super excited and can't wait to get going on these!

I'll be posting updates as we knock some things off our list in this room!

Our Bedroom ~ The Plan

2013-08-24T19:59:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! I feel like life has been crazy busy lately...all good stuff...but I am just worn out! Hope ya'll had a wonderful weekend. Ours was filled with rest, cooking, football, and painting!

We bought our house a little over a year ago, and have loved making it our own. That process is fun, but can be super overwhelming at the same time. Two rooms that have been completely neglected have been our bedroom, and the 3rd bedroom. It currently only serves the function of being Tucker's room, where we keep her crate....and an overflow storage room of stuff that I need to sort through and put somewhere else.

This week, I just had enough of our sad, mis-matched, bedroom. I am craving it to be a space of peace and calmness...and just for it to feel finished. So, to start that process, we sold our old sleigh bed. It was just too dark and I was craving something light and luxurious feeling.

I am planning to make a tall dramatic tufted headboard in it's place and re-cover a settee I bought off craigslist a few years ago to put at the end. Here is my inspiration photo for the whole transformation...I hope my headboard turns out like this one!

Here is what we are working with now (sans the sleigh bed)

BEFORE:

The To Do List:

Paint nightstands white

Paint both dressers (possibly Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze with Gold/Brass hardware)

Make Tufted headboard

Purchase all new bedding

Hang Curtains

New Lamp Shades/Lamps?

Recover Settee Bench

Now this all will not be done overnight...but hopefully over the course of the Fall we will make some good progress.

I really love a big fluffy bed with lots of pillows! I have been looking at pillows online today, and really am loving this combo...

Emerald green velvet pillows to add some drama. It is the pantone color of the year you know :)

Love this black and white Windsor Smith for Kravet Riad print to go in front of the green.

I would love to add a smaller lumbar pillow in front to finish it off...these are my top favorites:

It will take some convincing of my husband to go with the leopard...he already said "No way!" haha...so we will see! I am determined to add some leopard pillows in our house somewhere :)

As far as the duvet/bed linen. We have a white duvet, but are needing a dark, durable gray quilt to help with hiding the constant dog hair and/or the occasional muddy paw that always seems to be on our bed...

Can't wait to get this going...I'm hoping we are able to start on the headboard this week! Excited!

Coffee Break!

2013-08-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

I don't know about ya'll, but I look forward to my morning coffee time so much. That has quickly become my most favorite time of day on the mornings that I am able to work from home. It is just the best. I love sitting on the couch, drinking coffee, and catching up on my favorite blogs & Pinterest.

I have to admit though, until recently, I have been a plain old Folger's girl. I typically buy the Classic Roast that is already ground. Now, although I really do like this coffee, I didn't realize how much I was missing out on freshly ground whole bean coffee. Especially local, small batch coffees. Two brands in the Dallas area that I have grown to love are Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters & Noble Coyote Coffee Roasters. Both buy fair trade sourced beans and roast them to perfection.

Right now, we are drinking Noble Coyote's rise n' grind blend, and we love it.

Since we didn't have a coffee maker that grinds the beans for you, I had to purchase a coffee grinder. I ended up going with the Krups brand and love it. It is a great buy for the price too!

It is very easy to use, and ground them in about 5 seconds.

I like to store our coffee in this great vintage Community Coffee tin I got from my grandmother.

I even made a little coffee station last weekend to house all of our coffee necessities. This has turned into one of may favorite parts of our kitchen! Yes, that is a Fall candle you see. Could not stop myself!

And who can resist drinking out of a cute RoRo's mug?!? Not me!

Yum...the perfect combo!

Just for fun, I put together a few cute coffee accessories!

Coffee Love by amy-collins featuring forever 21 pjs

Hope ya'll have a rest-filled weekend, with lots of great coffee and good times!

5 on Friday!

2013-08-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! Today, I'm back with another 5 on Friday...Woohoo!

1. 3rd Wedding Anniversary

This week we celebrated 3 years of marriage! I am so thankful that I married this man, and know that the Lord has great plans for our life together. Love him! This is us the night we got engaged :)

2. West Elm Bedding Sale

We are in desperate need of a duvet cover for our master bedroom. I have big plans for this room, and really love this one! Right now they are offering 20% off and free shipping using the code: EXTRATREAT

3. Fall Candles

Yes, I bought one at Hobby Lobby this week, and it is wonderful!

4. Fancy Summer Drinks

Although I am eagerly anticipating Fall, I still am enjoying our Summer...and Summer calls for fun fancy drinks. I pinned this to my Recipes Board this week, and plan to make them this weekend. They look so delicious!

5. DIY Gold Tassle Garland

Have ya'll seen these floating around the blog/Pinterest world?? I think they are super cute, and after seeing this tutorial...they seem pretty easy to make. I plan on crafting it up on Saturday to see if I can recreate it myself...we'll see! I think it would be perfect for all the holidays this Fall & Winter!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

It's August/Almost F-A-L-L!!!

2013-08-01T13:56:00.002-05:00

You know what that means! It's almost FALL! I know it will hardly feel like Fall here in Dallas, but a girl can dream, right?!? I am in love with Fall and the Holiday season, and I can't wait to start getting into that mode once August rolls around. Yesterday I got my favorite Fall candles from Hobby Lobby. I have been home sick and these have definitely cheered me up!

Their Harvest Home line of candles are the absolute best. There are two different scents, and I get them both every year. Plus, they are almost always 40-50% off! So, you can't beat $5 for an amazing Fall candle.

A few things that I am excited about...

I am dreaming of Pupmkins...

I also can't wait for college FOOTBALL...War Eagle! We are actually going to the Auburn/A&M game on October 19th in college station, and I cannot wait! Haven't been to a college game in sooooo long!

I've also gotten alot of interest in my Fall Bucket List from my Pinterest page. I made this last year and completed most things, but not all. Since I love this list so much, I am going to re-use it this year and see if I can complete everything.

I have found that these things bring me so much joy, and it is so important to make time in your life to do the things you love with the people you love most.

I have spent the last two years growing our business, which is great...but in the beginning of a start-up company, it can completely consume your life. It is definitely a sacrifice, and I missed ALOT of weekends and free-time over the last 2 years. I really don't regret it at all...because I have truly learned the meaning of hard work and dedication....but I am SO glad to have a little more balance these days, and a wonderful team that allows me to enjoy life a bit more :)

And, because I can't help myself, I have just ordered these festive straws to use over the next few months!

Are ya'll excited about Fall too??

Have a wonderful Day!

Our Weekend & House Updates

2013-07-30T10:36:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! Hope ya'll had a relaxing weekend! We had two of our favorite little girls spend the night with us on Saturday and we had the best time. Lauren and I don't have children yet, so this was a fun "trial run"! Aren't they precious?!?

We started the day on Saturday and went to the White Rock Local Market, got Starbucks, then took them to our bakery to make cupcakes "after hours"! They thought that was super cool! Later that night, we went to Studio Movie Grill and saw Turbo. We loved it - I laughed throughout the whole thing - if you have kiddos, this is definitely one you will enjoy too :)

Tucker enjoyed all the extra attention too!

I still managed to get some things done around the house on Sunday. I decided to simplify the dining room a bit. Here is how it looks currently...

I ended up moving our ikea shelf back into the kitchen...I love it, but it was just too modern and did not fit the dining room well...It's much cuter in the kitchen!

I decided to make a little coffee bar too!

Sorry for the iphone pic - but this gives you an idea of how it all looks...I can't wait to decorate this spot for Fall in a few short weeks!

AND...Today is our 3 year anniversary, so today is extra special!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

5 on Friday

2013-07-26T10:24:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! I am so excited it is the weekend! I'm off today, so I am already enjoying my weekend. Today for my first 5 on Friday roundup, I thought I would share 5 random things I am loving right now!

1. The Royal Baby! I was definitely on Royal Baby watch this week...could not get enough! I love a good tradition, and loved watching them walk out of the hospital to introduce him to the world. Such a cool moment!

2. Fall Pins...can't stop myself!

3. RoRo's Baking Company - new product launch! Ya'll...our NEW Dinn-A-Rolls with Hatch Chiles & Cheese are amazing - they are the perfect match with a yummy Fall meal, football game appetizer, or party hors d'oeuvres. We have rolled delicious Hatch Green Chiles with Cheddar & Monterrey Jack cheese up into our yummy rolls...so good! We made over 9,000 rolls for our first order for Central Market - it was crazy!

This is me in our walk in freezer with all the rolls!

4. New Dining Room

I finished painting over the previous stenciled walls in our dining room and love the result! I will do a full reveal once we add crown moulding and I finish all my touch ups! But here is how it is looking now!

5. I am anxiously awaiting the Fall return of my two favorite shows...Scandal & Nashville! Are any of you fans of these? I am obsessed!

Happy Weekend!!!

Living Room Update ~ Rug Wanted!

2013-07-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I think it's definitely time to update ya'll on our living room progress. Although, since this picture has been taken - I have painted the dining room walls in urbane bronze by Sherwin Williams and am loving it! Also - our couch sadly is not in as great shape - don't get a new couch with a puppy! I am loving the way this room is coming along - but it definitely needs a rug. I will probably wait until the end of the year to actually get one when Tucker outgrows this stage a bit.

My two favorite places to look for rugs has been Rugs Usa & West Elm

Here are my top 3 choices:

This Jute Chenille Herringbone Rug from West Elm is definitely the front runner. It is neutral, yet interesting, and I really think it would work great in this room in a 9x12 version...I would also love to have a matching one under our dining table! It's definitely on my wish list!

This is another great rug - It's a Tuscan Moroccan Shag rug from Rugs USA. If I didn't have two big dogs - this would be the front runner I think...but it would just not be practical in our home at this point in life.

Last, but not least, this is another Tuscan Moroccan Trellis Rug from Rugs USA that is really pretty and may work for this space. The only thing I worry about is that it may be a little too busy - but maybe not! I really love the way it looks - and gray may hide some of the dirt our dogs bring in.

What do you guys think??