BEAUtiful mess.

Memorial Day Must-Haves

2013-05-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Iono about all you pretty people but if there's one holiday that gets me 50 shades of excited...it's Memorial Day weekend!

...3-day weekend
...the official kickoff of summer
...good friends
...good food
...even better booze
...did I say "3 day weekend"??!!

(Ok and because she would absolutely KILL me if I didn't say it...it's also Katie's birthday weekend #yourewelcomekatie)

Last week, I was already itching to sport my red, white and blue. We were getting all our plans settled, picking out new swimsuits and making our grocery list so I posed the following question on Twitter:

...and it goes without saying you girls did NOT let me down. It looks like my vision of Memorial Day was almost spot on with everyone else's! Whatdya say we all get together and have one BIG Memorial Day/blogger party? Yes?! Ok you plan it. I'll pack the wine.

Without further adieu and with YOUR assistance, I present to you:

+good music (ahem...preferably FGL!) by @Amandaar
+festive bikini by @KaitSawyer
+sunscreen by @fromCAtoKS
+your favorite pair of sunnies #absolutenecessity by @EasyPeasyGlam
+BOOZE #moreofanecessitythanthesunglasses by @Shesabigstar
+lawn chairs (ahem...really cute adirondacks from World Market? Yes.) by @TayFrizz
+furchildren by @CarolineLGray
+guacamole salsa (yes, yes and yes!) by @BrookeM225
+American flag beer pong swim trunks by @thebeau
+Essie "Ole Caliente" by @yourstruly
+adorable flips by @twsrblog
+BBQ...DUH! by @PerfectlyJenn

Not pictured: any body of water....pool, beach, lake, river, ocean, hot tub, bath tub...just get in it.

My choice: the Frio river

What do you do have planned for Memorial Day weekend?!

PS: Don't forget to enter to my giveaway for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card! Only a few days left!

What do you crave?

2013-05-17T08:40:00.002-05:00

Hey there friends! Happy Friday to you all!

Per usual, I'm here to make you spend money. You know...because what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't entice you to drop your entire paycheck at one of my absolute favorite new boutiques?!

I stand corrected...you will NOT drop your entire paycheck today because, well, everything these fabulous ladies carry is...get this...LESS THAN $50.

Meet Lana & Regan. The beautiful (& incredibly blessed with fabulous hair) women

behind Crave Boutique!

Oh yes.

They went there.

Read my lips. Err-text.

Nothing. Over. Fifty. Dollars.

I've clearly been stalking their site ever since I found out about them and decided to made myself a little wishlist. Or "Cravelist", if you will... ;)

Tied with a Bow Top

You know my obsession with bows. I need this in my closet like yesterday.

Simply Shift Dress

That color combo...swoon! {might I add...it's only $27!}

Tan Chevron Scarf - $12

And back to this dress...

Obviously...I went with the pink & black.

{Hello? Do you know me?}

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE every stinkin' last thing about this dress!! The gold accents on the buttons, the sleeves...It's not too long, not to short. Not to fitted, not too baggy. Since it's so lightweight, I can probably get away with wearing it all summer long with dressy flips or even pair it with some black tights & patent pumps in the winter and sport it then, too! (Not to mention...I got a TON of compliments on it! Thanks, Regan for stylin' a sister up!)

And the bestest part?

Thirty dolla make ya holla!

If you're already obsessed, like me, you can find them online, on Facebook or even follow their precious boutique on Instagram! (Pssst! They do giveaways on Instagram every once in a while!)

Now go.

Be free.

And shop Crave!

Or send me something off my Cravelist. ;)

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. - No-Bake Apple "Pizza"

2013-05-16T06:30:00.000-05:00

There's absolutely nothing better than finding something on Pinterest that

A) actually lives up to your expectations

and

B) you already have every ingredient for

Amiright or amiright?

Ok. So maybe there are better things in this world...like newborn babies, puppies, Duck Dynasty and Tito's Vodka but you get mah drift.

The original pin didn't really have a creative name so I just took it upon myself and named it...the "No-Bake Apple Pizza". Oh ya. Sometimes you just gotta take matters into your own hands...

Original pin:

(Boo you...highly skilled food photographer! #kidding #jealous)

Annnnd here we go!

Here's what you'll need:

gluten-free oats | almond/peanut butter | apple (I prefer Honeycrisp #applesnob) | dark chocolate chips

Also needed:

One photobombing puppy

Step one: Slice your apple into 1/2 inch slices (I don't measure anything y'all so just eyeball it, k? No need to bust out the tape measure people...)

Step two: Layer your toppings in the following order. Use however much you want. Get crazy, y'all!

Almond/peanut butter
Gluten-free oats
Dark chocolate chips

(The original recipe called for nuts but I don't like nuts in my food so I omitted that part.)

Step three: DEVOUR!

Done.

And

Done.

Don't let the pictures fool you...I assure you I ate FOUR of these by the time I finished taking pictures of them all! Okay...Oakley helped.

Ye knowith ze drilleth!

1. Link up using the linky tool below.

2. Link back to Katie & I so other people can know where to find the link up!

3. Paste our button (HTML code below) at the bottom of your post.

4. Visit & re-pin other blog images to get new inspiration and find new friends!

Join us every Thursday for Saw it. Pinned it. Did it.

We promise we'll love you forever! ;)

Liquid Goodness

2013-05-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Being a girl from the South, while I'd like to think I'm not too terribly demanding, I'll be honest...there are three things in my world that must be spot on:

My cowgirl boots.

My country music.

And my sweet tea.

...specifically the kind that's served in mason jar form...

...and from a convenient, non-tea-bag-steeping, squeezy bottle.

(Is it just me or is steeping tea bags the most obnoxious thing ever?!)...

Enter: Crystal Light Liquid.

That's right party people...no more powdery mess, no steeping of tea bags (Can I get an amen?!) ,

0 calories, all liquid goodness, and comes in 6 genius flavors:

While I'd usually have fresh iced tea set out for my parties, I tested out the new Crystal Light Liquid at our recent housewarming party and needless to say, it was a HUGE hit! Some might call it lazy, but I call it efficient. (Hey, I had a LOT to do in a little bit of time so boiling and steeping tea bags was not in the plans.) Fortunately, a few drops of this stuff hit the spot and helped get the party started!

I'm still anxious to run out and pick up the peach bellini and pomtini flavors and give em' a test drive but until then, I know the iced tea Crystal Light Liquid will be making a regular appearance in my kitchen, my purse and even my desk drawer.

Do I think the iced tea flavor is every Southern girl's dream? Absolutely. Stuff is UH-DIC-TING and adds just the perfect amount of flavoring to spice up that boring ol' glass of water!

Now that you know mine...what's your party planning, time-saving secret?! For a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card leave an answer in the comments below!

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the
following unique term in your tweet message: ""#SweepstakesEntry""; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post"
c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/14 - 6/4.
Be sure to visit the Crystal Light page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

Weekend To-Do's

2013-05-13T08:30:00.002-05:00

one. Rescue drowning mouse from community pool - check!
two. Work outside on a sunny Friday afternoon- check!
three. Find & purchase adorable "LOVE" bracelet - check!
four. Make feet really happy with new bow flips - check!
five. Consume one too many"Ridgeback Ales" at a local brewery - check!
six. Take one too many photos of Miss Oakley - check!
seven. Enjoy my very first Furmother's Day - check!

And finally...

eight. Surround myself with the most beautiful and important women in my life - check...check...check!

I hope y'all had an equally fantastic mouse-saving, pool-going, ale-drinking, puppy-kissing, momma-loving weekend!

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. - DIY Bow Holder

2013-05-09T07:11:00.001-05:00

Today...TODAY...just might be my favorite post I've written in a while.

For several reasons:

A) It's Thursday...who doesn't love themselves a good Friday eve?

2.) After a month(plus)-long break, Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. is officially back in action!

D) This week's project is a special little gem for my nieces...TRIPLET nieces...in case you forgot. #proudaunt

So last weekend, since my sissy-in-law is locked up on hospital bedrest, a few of us went over to their house and helped put together the nursery!

PROOF

Working hard? Or hardly working? I'll let you be the judge...

Well...baby daddy has his crap together so the cribs and furniture were all set up and ready to go. It was the rest of our jobs to fold/hang clothes and put everything in it's designated spot so the day those tiny little chicklets come home from the hospital, their room is set and ready to go!

When the time came to put their cajillion hair bows away, we quickly realized they had no where to hang them!

Now what's a baby girl's nursery without a bow holder?

Exactly...

So I took matters into my own hands and in 5 simple steps, you can too!

original inspiration

Here's what you'll need:

Glassless frame (any size...mine was 16x20...I think?) | 1.5 inch thick ribbon (any flavor) | hair bows...LOTS of 'em

Not pictured: Hot glue gun, scissors, triplet neices

Step 1-2: measure your ribbon and cut enough strands to spread across your frame. I spaced mine out about an inch and a half away from each other.

Step 3: hot glue those puppies onto the back of your frame, making sure they're evenly laid out and stretched as tight as possible to see that the ribbons don't sag.

Step 4: Apply 'said' hair bows to ribbons!

Step 5: Stand back and give yourself a high-five for totally rocking this Pinterest project!

You know the drill! Link up below and add our button in your post today!

Quick Reminder (& A Belly Full of Babies!)

2013-05-08T10:49:00.001-05:00

Hola friends! So I took a quick break from working...you know...because working from home is so ungodly terrible...to remind you all that the one, the ONLY Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. link up will be BACK up tomorrow morning!! Be sure to take all your pictures tonight and get your posts ready for tomorrow morning!

I'm so excited to share my project with you all! It may or may not involve something for my nieces, who, by the way...are 30 weeks today and just growing (& moving around) like crazy!! My sister-in-law is such a trooper y'all and is hanging in there like nobody's business!

We went and visited her up at the hospital on Saturday night and I swear those little nuggets were having a dance party up in that tummy of hers!

Is there anything better than a belly full of triplets?? I think NOT!

(Sorry...totally went off on a rabbit trail there. Can you tell I'm anxious to meet those little girls?!)

So anywho...just in case you have nothing better to do with your day or need inspiration for the linkup tomorrow, here are a few of my favorite SPD projects I've completed in the past:

Paleo Cookie Dough

Fiesta Themed Baby Shower

Guacamole Salsa

Tissue Paper Garland

Copycat Outfit

Long Distance BFF Mugs

New to these parts and not sure what the heck I'm talking about?

So every Thursday my co-host, Katie, and I host a weekly linkup where you get to show off your latest Pinterest creations! All we ask is that you include the button we created (above), as well as the original pin from where you got your inspiration from and show us what you come up with! Whether it's a recipe you've been wanting to try, a craft of some sort, a new hairstyle, a fashion idea, etc...it's time we get to tackling those Pinterest boards! Yes?!

Oh ....and Katie and I decided if ALL of you out there in blogworld don't participate, we're unfollowing all of your blogs effective immediately. See you all tomorrow!! ;)

Day 1 @ The New Gig (+ What I Wore)

2013-05-07T07:11:00.000-05:00

So. Yesterday was my first day at the new gig and in honor of that, I thought I'd give you all a little inside scoop!

First of all-let's just say taking a new job was quite possibly one of the biggest/toughest/scariest decisions of my life. No joke. It is NOT easy leaving a very, very stable company you've been with for 4 years for a start up company that hasn't even been around a few months. But then again...it's not everyday you're given an opportunity to get in with a company at its infant stages and being 26 and childless, Beau and I just felt it was the right thing for me, for us, to do. So...I took the leap!

That being said, my new position is with a healthcare software company here in Houston and I'll be working as the Social Media Analyst! Right up my alley? I think YES! And the best part?! As of now, I'm working from home 3 days a week and am in the office the other 2. Also right up my alley? Definitely a YES!

My favorite new co-worker has fur and four legs... :)

Anywho...some of you may or may know that though I loved many things about my "old" job (which is still so weird for me to say!) the one thing I got burnt out on BIG time was the fact that I had to wear solid black suits, plain Jane shirts, plain jane jewelry, NO perfume, panty hose (yep-panty hose) and closed toe black heels.

If you're thinking to yourself "YUCK!"...you're right.

Don't get me wrong...I own enough black suits to stock the Limited, and sure, it was SO nice not having to figure out what I was going to wear each and every day but after a while, it got so mundane and I felt like my appearance just got more and more sloppy.

When I read through my new company's handbook and saw the dress code was "business casual" I instantly shrieked in excitement and then immediately turned to panic mode because I had no idea what the hay "business casual" even meant!

A few shopping trips and a tornado of a bedroom later...I was set for my very first day as a Social Media Analyst!

White Top (mine was a little different than the peplum pictured above) - The Limited

Tan slacks - The Limited

Coral cardi - Old Navy

Tan peeptoes - Kohl's

Bow earrings - Kate Spade

Wedding ring - from the husby

Gold watch - Betsey Johnson

Turquoise bracelets - old

Leopard iPhone case - from Katie

BFF Bangle - Kate Spade

Life Planner (mine is the pink/green succulent design...a little different than pictured above)- Erin Condren

This was the best #OOTD pic I could do at 7am...forgive me...

So there we have it! So far-I'm very excited, anxious and thankful for my new journey! A HUGE thank you to everyone who has been so incredibly supportive during this new "adventure" in our lives! It is appreciated more than you know!

Jewelry That Tells A Story

2013-05-01T08:27:00.002-05:00

A necklace, is a necklace, is a necklace.

But what a regular necklace is not is a Living Locket.

I was introduced to the Living Lockets from Origami Owl about a month ago and let me tell you...mine hasn't been back in my jewelry box since the day it was delivered to my doorstep!

So what's this "Living Locket" I speak of and are "lockets" really making a come back?

To answer the first part of that question, Living Lockets tell a story. You start by picking out charms that have meaning to you. Next, you choose your favorite locket and chain. Finally, you get to add personality with a handstamped metal plate or even dangles.

To answer the second part of that question, YES! Lockets are totally making a come back and I couldn't be more excited.

To be perfectly honest, when I first sat down to design mine, it was completely different than what you see in the above photo. It was silver, with initials, a cowboy boot and even a laptop (for my obvious love of blogging and social media...ha!). Then I switched a few charms out, decided I really wanted to give this whole gold trend a try, switched out my charms again and FINALLY came up with my masterpiece!

So what does my Living Locket mean to me?

I chose the gold "Love" plate because, well, I just love it. No really...I love love. I love what love stands for. I love what love has to offer. And most importantly, I love knowing what it feels like to love and to be loved. (Whoa. That was a LOT of "love"!)

As for the charms, they each have their own meanings too:

The cross represents my faith in Christ.
The gold rhinestone heart represents...you guessed it...more love.
The diamond rhinestone represents April; the month I was born and the year I married my Beau Beau.
The red rhinestone represents January; mom, brother, Beau and Oakley's birth month and also the anniversary month of my dad's passing.
And finally, my absolute favorite part of the locket...the topaz rhinestone; dad's birth month.

Putting all these charms together meant SO incredibly much to me! Who would have thought I could be so emotional about a necklace?! ;) But no...really...it represents family and I know darn good and well that without mine, I'd be nowhere.

It's funny to see people look at my necklace and kind of tilt their head trying to figure out what it is. Eventually they'll ask what it all means, which then gives me the opportunity to explain my Living Locket, which also just so happens to be my story.

I'm excited about these little things! You can continue to add to your locket throughout the years by adding more charms and they make incredible gifts. (Psst! Mother's Day is May 12!)

If you need any help whatsoever designing your necklace, Holly with Origami Owl is YOUR GIRL! She's THE sweetest and such a huge help! Don't hesitate to contact her with any questions!
***
On a second note...thank you EVERYONE for the overwhelming amount of birthday love I received yesterday!! From tweets, to blog posts to blog comments and emails...you all really know how to make a girl feel special on her 27th birthday! Love y'all!! xoxo

Dear 27

2013-04-30T10:20:00.000-05:00

Dear 27,

This morning I woke up one whole year older. It's amazing how SO many things can change in just one single year. I don't know about you but me? I like change.

This time last year, Beau and I were living in our tiny one bedroom townhome smack dab in the middle of Houston. It was just the two of us in our little box and a few dead animals on the walls.

This year I woke up in our new home that lies many, many miles away from the big city. I rolled out of the coziest of king size beds, with my husband by my side and our sweet puppy at our feet. I climbed into my bathtub (aka: my new form of heaven) and soaked up my very first few minutes of being 27 years old.

Beau, who usually sleeps in several hours past me, came strolling into the bathroom in nothing less than a pair of red, white and blue boxers (you're welcome for the visual), with a steaming mug of THE best Texas Pecan coffee in his hands as he quietly serenaded me with his very raspy, very sleepy version of "Happy Birthday". It was then that I knew 27 was going to rock my damn socks off.

This morning as I drove off for my morning commute I was greeted with the most beautiful sunrise over the east and all of a sudden I felt overcome with a huge sense of gratefulness.

Grateful for life.
Grateful for love.
Grateful for another year to live a life of love.

So 27, I think it's safe to say we're going to get along real well. I already like where we've been but even more so, I like where we're headed.

Sincerely,

The Birthday Girl

Calling Closet Soap Fans!

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Just when you thought trashy reality TV was the only thing left to watch anymore (wait? Is that just me?)

[crickets]

Anyways...what I'm trying to say here is move over Teen Mom, Kardashians and The Real Housewives of Whatever City...the soaps are BACK!

Oh yes-it's true!

The highly-anticipated return of the two long-running ABC daytime dramas, and your guilty pleasure, “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,” will take place April 29 (ahem...TODAY!) when new episodes of the shows debut online, courtesy of The Online Network. Closet soap fans (AKA: YOU!) will be able to view the latest episodes via the free service Hulu.com and Hulu Plus! In addition, the iTunes store will offer both series via iPhone, iPod Touch, Apple TV and Mac and PC.

Not only are ALL the original cast members back, but there are quite a few new cast members, too!

Starting TODAY, like I said, you will be able to view the latest episodes of both dramas via Hulu.com ...wait for it...FOR FREE! If you have a Hulu Plus subscription, or would like to get one for less than $8/month, you can view the episodes there, too! (For a FREE trial week of Hulu Plus, go here.) But just wait! In addition to All My Children and One Life to Live, you will have access to ANY tv series included in the Hulu library! Ahem...Glee, Parks & Rec, Nashville...you get mah point!

I know. I know. It feels like Christmas, doesn't it?! Soaps are back, yes, but the main thing I'm most excited about is being able to watch them on Hulu. For free. On your computer. Anywhere in the world! (AKA: while you're "working"). (Kidding about that last part...maybe...) ;) No but really...I'm NOT a movie person and as many road trips as we take, it will be nice to watch something I actually like and be able to watch it on my own time from the convenience of my laptop.

As if I didn't just totally rock your world...I have but ONE more thing for ya...

...a GIVEAWAY party people!!

Who: Maybe you!?
What: a FREE one-year subscription to Hulu Plus AND a chance at the Grand Prize, a Roku!
When: Enter RIGHT NOW!
Why: Because who doesn't like winning cool stuff?!
How: Simply leave a comment in the comments section answering the following question...

Why are YOU excited to start watching soaps on Hulu?!
Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b: Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c: Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d: For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 4/29/2013-5/26/2013

Be sure to visit the sponsor's brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers reviews and find more chances to win!

Many Celebrations & A Leap

2013-04-25T09:51:00.003-05:00

3 reasons I'm sippin' on the bubbly this week:

First things, first...Beau and I celebrated our two year wedding anniversary over the weekend and though it was plain and simple, it was exactly what we needed. (And I am still in absolute SHOCK that it's been two years already!) At our first anniversary, we decided we would take a trip every year and I vowed I would put my wedding dress back on (because who doesn't love wearing their wedding dress around the house?) Well...things change, 12-week old puppies take over your life and injured shoulders make putting on a wedding dress less than exciting. So-no trip this year and no wedding dress...[insert teeny sad face]...but we did indulge in a fabulous dinner, incredible drinks, yummy desserts, a couple of movies (even though I fell asleep #typical), took Oakley on extra long walks and just enjoyed our time together celebrating two years of Mr. and Mrs. Howard. :) Sometimes it's all about the simple things in life y'all, however I DID get ten types of crazy by going slingless to dinner. There's just something so un-sexy about a big, black arm sling... ;)

If I look completely uncomfortable in the picture above, it's because without a sling on my left arm, I was...

I'm a lucky, lucky girl to call him mine! :)

Second, and quite possibly the best news of all...I do NOT have to have surgery on my shoulder! The doctor said it is healing GREAT but it's very, very weak and extremely tight to the point that I can barely even lift it. A few weeks of physical therapy are in my near future and then hopefully I'll be back to my old self in NO time. Oh-and I'm also SLING-FREE! Thank goodness...it was getting hard to coordinate that stupid thing with my outfits... (And thank ALL of you for your sweet thoughts and prayers! They definitely worked!)

The third, and the most exciting/bittersweet, celebration in my life right now comes in the form of a new career! Some of you may or may not know that for the past 4 years, I have poured every ounce of my heart and soul into my current job. I have been able to fulfill my passion for health and wellness in so many ways possible that it's still a little surprising to me that I'm taking this leap. However, I have been presented with an incredible opportunity with a brand new company to fulfill the other half of my passion, which is marketing and social media. There comes a point in time where you have to do what's best for you and right now, I am 100% sure that this is what is best for me, my career and my family. It's also not everyday you're given opportunities like the one I have been given and I don't ever want to live a life of "what if's" so I'm taking the leap. And it's a huge, bullfrog-sized leap of faith but I know it's the right one. I am forever grateful for my current (soon to be "old") job for the knowledge I have gained, the books I've read (which is over 100!) the people I have met, the experiences I've experienced, and for the skills I've learned but as hard of a decision as it was, I have to close one chapter and start a new one in this so called "Book of Life" I'm writing.

I stumbled across this quote the night before I accepted my new position and it spoke to me in a way that no other quote has ever spoken to me before. I hope it does the same for you.

To my friends, family and co-workers: thank you for your undying love and support during these past few days. The overwhelming amount of love and encouragement is appreciated more than you all will ever, EVER, know. I am very grateful that God has surround me with such good company. I love you all!

[Wipes tears of happiness.]

So there we have it. Two wonderful, incredible, sometimes challenging but always fun years of marriage, no shoulder surgery (heck to the yes) and my big leap of faith!

Even our baby bird is celebrating with us! :)

Gotta start 'em early on the booze, right? ;)

Raw Week Update & My New BFF

2013-04-24T08:30:00.001-05:00

Oh hey there! Happy THIRD day of raw week for any of you ballsy enough to join me on my raw food journey!! That's right...this officially means after today I can cross off #9 on my 30 Before 30 list. Whoop whoop!!

That being said, I wanted to give you all an update as to how this whole "raw" thing is going!

But before we get started, my child insisted she make (yet another) appearance on the blog:

She's a real diva, I tell ya...

Okay...so first things first...let me get a few housekeeping questions out of the way:

NO-I am not starving. (Surprisingly enough!) I'm naturally hungry during feeding times (AKA: breakfast, lunch, dinner and few snacks between each) but it's really nothing out of the ordinary. Half of the meals I have prepared for myself, I end up not eating all of them. It's weird. Yes.

NO-I don't have any cravings. None. At all. If/when I get a little sweet tooth, dehydrated figs and raw almond butter have been my go-to lifesavers. PS-do NOT even doubt dehydrated figs for a second. Trust me...I sneered my nose at them the first time I heard of them too and am no obsessed. OB-SESSED. If you EVER in your life loved Fig Newtons...you will LOVE me for introducing dehydrated figs into your life.

NO-my husband is NOT doing it with me. Upon approaching him about the weeklong raw food diet, he basically gave me a go to hell look and politely told me "No thanks, babe. I'll fend for myself." So-fend for himself he has! Frozen pizzas, Taco Bell, Whatburger...you name it. I think he's really loving this raw diet thing, while I on the other hand, am cringing every time he puts another greasy fry into his arteries. (Back to clean eating for him next week! Sorry, babes!)

NO-I haven't had to cook ALL week long and it feels AMAZING!!! I feel like I've gained an extra 2+ hours every night by not having to prep, cook and clean dinner. Don't get me wrong...dinner always has been and always will be my favorite meal of the day because I feel like it closes out the day for a family in a positive way but not having to deal with pots, pans, seasonings, dishes, cutting boards and the physical action of cooking food has been very freeing for me. Emphasis on "VERY" and "FREEING".

In case you're wondering, here's what my eating plan has looked like for the past couple of days and honestly, really, truthfully...I've NEVER felt better. EVER.

Work bag loaded down with food | breakfast day 1 | lunch day 1 | lunch day 2

I secretly hope I can continue eating a raw diet for breakfast and lunch during the week. Why the heck not!?

In other news...Kacie B (from the Bachelor for any of you hiding under a rock) is now my BFF.

Yep. It happened.

I mean...she may still be a little starstruck by my presence, which is completely understandable, but I'm considering us gal pals...for sure. ;)

It all started with a blog comment.

Then continued with a few exchanged emails.

To Twitter friends.

And now she's starting her very own blog next week! (Link to come soon...I'm pretending I may or may not have had an inkling to do with it...)

PS-Kacie...girl's night on Smonday? Yes? ;) Ok.

So there we go. Raw day #3 is in session and my new BFF is Kacie B. I will TAKE it. ;) Happy hump day lover pants!

Happy Smonday!

2013-04-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Smonday! Yes, Smonday. You know...that extra day we all deserve that falls between Sunday and Monday. Smonday! It takes Sunday Funday to a whole 'nother level...but then again Smonday only exists in a make believe world that apparently only Casey and myself live in so it looks like we're stuck with...well...Monday. Wishful thinking...huh?

Anywho-I'm linking up with Sami today for Weekend Shenanigans! Quite possibly one of my favorite link ups to date. Yep-I said it.

one. Headed out to dinner to celebrate two years of marriage! Please note: I got 10 sorts of crazy on Friday night and went out WITHOUT my sling on. Ohhh schnappppp! #rebel (More of the anniversary recap will come later this week!)
two. My handsome date enjoying a glass of vino before dinner. (& simultaneously celebrating the capture of the Boston bomber #2!) :) #realmenwearpink
three. Oakley graduated to her big girl bowls this weekend. Though they are GINORMOUS, her other bowls were too tiny and we were having to fill them up 15 times throughout the day. She'll grow into 'em...
four. Saturday afternoon I spent some time snapping pics of my adorable pregnant sister-in-law! She's almost 28 weeks along (with TRIPLETS, if you're new to these parts!) and is still on hospital bedrest but she's doing just fine and her spirits are great!!
five. "Said" sister-in-law who doesn't even look 12 weeks pregnant from the back! She's amazing y'all...foreals.
six. Oakley girl sitting pretty.
seven. Sunday evening stroll with my little fam. Absolute favorite part of my day!
eight. New garden rock from my sweet aunts!
nine. New blogging digs! Slowly but surely I'm nesting into our little office. :) It's amazing how you can become inspired all over again by just a change of scenery!

In other news, I finally caught Oakley being sweet long enough to take a picture with me so we snapped these right before church.

This little one makes my heart go pitter patter... :)

All in all, a fairly low-key weekend...completely necessary after last weekend's shenans. (Dear Low-Key Weekend, I like you. Suppose you'll stay a little longer next time?)

PS-if you missed Friday's post, today is my very first day of Raw Week 2013! That's right...this entire week I'm attempting a 100% raw diet. If you're thinking to yourself "why??!!"...don't worry...I am too! ;) I'll be posting lots of food pics on the ol' Instagram so be sure to check in with me! There are LOTS of other girls doing it too so don't forget to include #RAWWEEK2013 in your posts so I can check out all the food pics!!

The current food situation in the Howard household...

Call me crazy but come hell or high water...I WILL accomplish this!

Link up, K? All the cool kids are doing it!

I'm Going Raw

2013-04-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

Remember that time I told y'all about my "30 before 30" list? Remember reading #9: Eat a raw diet for 3 days straight? Remember how I looked back at 'said' #9 and thought "What a terrible idea!"

Well...it's happening. Whether I like it or not.

That's right folks...next Monday, April 22 I am officially going raw...but it's not for just 3 days...it's for an entire friggin' week. (Genius idea, Stephanie. Genius.)

Believe you me, this is NOT going to be easy. (Have I told you about the time I did a vegan challenge and didn't even make it 4 days? Oh ya-it happened.) In saying this, I'm making it a group effort because it's obvious there is no way in HELL-O I could do something like this on my own and there is NO way in HELL-O Beau is doing this with me. Granted, I do eat healthy about 85% of the time but a raw diet is 100% healthy 100% off the time. (Good lord what have I just gotten myself into?) I need you, your help and your sanity starting next Monday.

What I'm saying is I need you to do this with me. (Picture me in full-on begging mode...) Come on...it can't be that bad. Just raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds for 7 days. Yes? I know all of you are looking down at your thunder thighs hoping they'll magically shrink themselves. I know you're all dreading walking into Victoria's Secret and trying on that first bikini of the year. And I know you're all wanting to find a way to get that layer of winter flab off your belly. OK, so maybe I'm talking about myself here but you get the idea.

Here's what will happen.

I provide you with a food list and a yummy recipe and you participate with me. Capiche?! I encourage you to blog, tweet, pin or Instagram your raw journey because God knows I will be too...you know...for accountability purposes. Let's hashtag it up while we're at it with #RAWWEEK2013.

I'm not going to even ask you if "you're in" because I'm going to assume you all are. ;)

As promised...here's your food list:

Save it. Print it. Pin it.

Here's a small list of what a raw diet can do for you:

• rid your body and gut of harmful toxins
• absorb essential nutrients to help you feel and live your best
• improve digestion with enzymes found naturally in fruits in vegetables
• lose weight
• clear up brain fog
• improve complexion
• cleanse the body and mind
• heal your body from years of harmful food ingestion
• break your unhealthy relationship with food

I'll take ALL of the above.

I fully believe that food is a source of fuel for our bodies. The more colorful your plate is, the more colorful your life will be. The idea behind a raw diet is to feel alive, just like the food on your plate. When you heat food, whether it be on the stove, grill, oven or microwave, you cook out all the important nutrients that your food once stored. By following a raw diet, everything you eat is fresh, colorful and vibrant, and is exactly how you can feel once you've rid your system of "the junk".

One of the main reasons people have a difficult time sticking to a 100% raw food diet is because they don't eat enough food throughout the day and find themselves starving. (Umm hello...no meat?!) In an effort to help you succeed, I've done extensive research and put together a sample meal plan for ya. (You're welcome.) I've also decided my juicer is going to be my very best friend next week. Keep in mind these are just ideas so feel free to get creative and if you have any raw meal ideas, please leave them in the comment section below for the rest of us to see!

Breakfast:
• Fresh juice (kale, pineapple, cucumber, lemon, celery)
• Fruit salad (mixture of melons and berries)
• 1/2 avocado with grapefruit

Lunch:
• Lettuce roll ups (romaine lettuce stuffed with avocado, cucumbers, sprouts, carrots, tomatoes and onion-have fun with this!)
• Veggies dipped in fresh guacamole or guacamole salsa
• Salad in a glass
• Salad topped with fresh veggies and mango salsa

Dinner:
• Large spinach salad loaded with fresh fruits and/or vegetables topped with fresh lemon/lime juice, fresh salsa, or guacamole salsa
• Cucumber salad with large side of fresh fruit
• Grape tomato and avocado salad (using a cold-pressed olive oil)

Snacks:
• Raw nuts/seeds
• Dried fruits
• Banana with almond butter

Dessert:
• Cocoa-nut banana slices
• Pecan pie bites (recipe below)

***

Raw/Vegan Pecan Pie Bites

Ingredients:

2 cups pecans
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp fresh orange juice
2 cups Medjool dates

Instructions:

In a food processor, combine pecans, cinnamon and orange juice and pulse into small chunks.
Add dates and mix well.
Roll dough into golf ball sized balls and place on parchment paper.
Refrigerate and enjoy!

***
Remember! The key to a successful raw diet is to EAT ENOUGH FOOD! This is your excuse to eat all day, ever day, as long as you're consuming nothing but raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds!

If you're looking for a few great raw resources, here are some of my recent faves:

Whew! Ok. That was a lot. I know. (Actually-I think this is the longest blog post I've ever written.) But this is why you have a few days to mull it over and get yourself prepared. I fully expect to see your hashtags all over the social media world and can't wait to see how many of you are in for the challenge!

Like I said...it's only 7 days!

Housewarming Success

2013-04-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, Beau and I finally got around to having our housewarming party! Sure-we've been in our house for 4 months now but hey, better late than never, right? We had originally planned to have it back in February or March but little did we know how much work it is to get your house ready to "show off" to all your friends and family. It wasn't until mid-March that we actually had beds in all of our bedrooms and it wasn't until last week that we had a desk in our office. Who wants to see an incomplete house? That's right. No one.

Many of you have asked me how on EARTH I threw a party being one-armed and all. Well...lemme tell ya. I had the invitations printed the day BEFORE I dislocated my shoulder so this party was happening whether I liked it or not. Fortunately, Beau and his friend Brian were both HUGE help. From putting together a desk, to hanging dear heads and canvases, to moving tables and perfectly placing each cupcake on the cupcake stand...I could NOT have done it without them. My aunt Mary and Uncle John came into town from Dallas and were also tremendous. From baking quiches, vacuuming floors, cutting fruit and opening wine bottles...I could NOT have done it all without them either. Beau's mom was sweet enough to give up her day with her maid and sent her to our house...THANK GOD...because laundry was overflowing, floors were gross and our bed had not been made since, well, I hurt my shoulder, which was on Easter. Little Miss Thang (aka: Oakley) was absolutely no help at all. We've really gotta get that girl trained around the house. At what age do they start mowing the lawn? ;)

The incredible Lindsey with Splash of Silver designed our invitations and was FABULOUS to work with! I messaged her on Tuesday afternoon telling her I needed these to be completed by that Thursday and sister made. it. happen. !! Is this not adorable?! (She's very reasonable and very quick. I highly recommend her for invitation design when you're in a crunch!)

Oh-and I can't go on without thanking Pinterest for the incredible table arrangement/decor ideas! It was a wine and cheese themed party and, per usual, she (yes, Pinterest is a girl. I decided.) came through in the clutch!

(Disclaimer: I'm making these images really large so if my format looks weird in this post, that's why. Anyone know how I can widen the middle column of my template?!)

Ze spread

Around 1am, after the parents, grandparents and adults left, shizz got weird. (Proof in the last photo above. So much awesomeness happening on the right side of that pic.) Grapes were thrown about my living room, the bunny hop happened in my kitchen and the next morning I woke up to 3 grown men spooning on my couch, my brother-in-law passed out in our office, and my Asian Psy-lookalike friend (Phong) zonked in our gameroom in nothing but his boxers. I figure the late night burgers on our counter, the 12 (yes-TWELVE!) trash bags piled outside our garage and more than a handful of hangovers the next morning were all signs of a successful party. I'll you be the judge of that one!

Two.

2013-04-16T09:49:00.001-05:00

April 16, 2013

***

One bride.

One damn good looking groom.

Two incredible years.

Perhaps I'm bias but, yes, I do believe I am the luckiest girl in this entire world to have found someone like Beau to spend the rest of my life with. He is, by far, the most kind-hearted, funny, loving (and let's not forget...good looking) man that God has placed on this Earth and I cherish every single second I get to call him "mine". This man has taught me so much about life, love, and surprisingly enough, myself, and for that I am forever grateful.

Beau-you know I love you to itty bitty Reese's Pieces! Thank you for being you and thank you for loving me (& Oakley!) I can't wait to start a family, travel, and just spend forever with you. We have so much to look forward to! Happy anniversary!

"W" is for "Weekend"...

2013-04-15T08:38:00.005-05:00

...and also "WHYYYYY does it have to be Monday already?!?"

one. With the 80+ degree weather we've had lately, Friday afternoon my hands decided it was summertime. The hotter the pink, the tanner the hand, right?!
two. Little Miss Oakley girl at her 11 week vet visit! She did SO well and get this...has literally doubled in weight at a whopping 22 lbs! Momma's big girl, for sure!
three. A lil sneaky peek at some housewarming décor from our party on Saturday night. (More to come later...I promise!)
four. The most precious kitchen towel from my sweet friend, Selena. Not sure if you can read it but it says "A beautiful mess." - Yes, I wanted to shed a tear it was so insanely thoughtful and perfect!
five. Late night party crew. We feel so blessed to have such great friends to share our home with...even if there were marks on the walls, stains on the couch and grapes thrown around the living room. The Bunny Hop happened in my kitchen around 1:30am and made it all worth while! ;)
six. What I woke up to on Sunday morning...grown men scattered all over my house. (Not pictured: bags on bags of Whataburger taquitos and hundreds of empty cans.)
seven. Our friend James' boxer pup, Achilles. Besides Oakley (duh), is that not THE sweetest face you've ever seen?!
eight. Our sweet girl chewing on her stick. Out of the hundreds of dollars we've spent on toys, why are dogs SO fascinated with sticks, strings and water bottles? (AKA-the free stuff?! I will never grasp this concept!)
nine. My aunt Mary and I house shopping for their new home!

Needless to say we had a busy, busy weekend and I am Zonked (notice the capital "Z")! I really need to invent coffee in IV form for days like this...

Hope you had a great weekend, too! If any of you single gals wanna come pick up any of the grown men that crashed on my couch on Saturday night (refer to #6), feel free to swing by anytime...they're single!! ;)

Link up with Sami-wouldya?!

SPD: Paleo Cookie Dough Bars

2013-04-11T06:30:00.000-05:00

I'll be real honest today, y'all. This week's Pinterest project was the most last minute thing ever. That being said...it was the absolute BEST last minute decision I have ever made.

I found myself frantically trying to figure out what I would do for today's linkup and then it hit me...

via

The clock struck 10 (PM!) and I ran into my pantry to make sure I had all the ingredients. A little flour...a little vanilla...a few more 'gredients...bada bing bada boom...I had myself the most delicious paleo cookie dough bars I've ever tasted in my life. Ok so these are the only paleo cookie dough bars I've ever had but that's not the fact of the matter here. My point(s) are:

A) this took less than 5 minutes to prep

B) I had EVERY single ingredient on hand (for once in my life)

C) my tastebuds did cartwheels the minute I shoveled my first spoonful into my mouth

Yes. Cartwheels, people.

And yours will, too.

Here's what you'll need:

1 1/2 C almond flour
1 1/2 T coconut flour
1/3 t sea salt
1/3 t baking soda
2 t vanilla
1/3 C melted coconut oil
1/3 C maple syrup
1/2 C dark chocolate chips
Optional: 1 scoop Jay Robb vanilla whey protein powder (I added this for protein & sweetness!)

Mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl, trying to not eat it ALL before you allow it to chill. Press dough into 8x8 glass pan and chill until firm. Cut into squares and enjoy!

While I'd like to tell you all I had the patience to let it chill and cut it into pretty little bars, that would be a lie. See wha had happened was...beauty rest was calling and I had already consumed enough of this stuff before it even made it into the glass pan so I said heck with it all...you get the point! Stuff is LE-GIT and don't even think for a second this is going to last me through the weekend.

Pin the crap outta the recipe, make this stuff STAT and when your tastebuds start to do round-off flip flops in your mouth, don't say I didn't tell you so! ;)
---
Ok now for the not-so-great news. Some of you may or may not have read on Katie's blog that this will be the last SPD link up post for April. There's been SO much going on in SO many of our lives (hello? I have one arm, a 10-week old puppy, a wedding anniversary, a housewarming party and a birthday all in the next two weeks...overwhelmed is an understatement. Plus-this whole one arm thing makes EVERYTHING so much more difficult!) Excuses aside, Katie and I agreed it would be a good time to take a break, get refreshed and start back up in May.

That being said...I ALWAYS encourage you to do your Pinterest projects! There are WAY too many pins out there that need to be re-created, photographed and blogged about so make sure you take plenty of pics and save them all for when we start back up in May, mmmkay?! We LOVE this linkup so please don't think it's going away for good! Just takin' a little breather!

So link up today and don't forget to check back the first week in May when we get started back up again!

Subtle Hints

2013-04-09T09:17:00.004-05:00

Stephanie is my name. April 30th is my game. (Or my birthday?) The 6th anniversary of my 21st birthday (AKA: the big 2-7) is right around the corner so here's to hoping the husband (or anyone else who feels obligated to send me a birthday gift) sees this... ;)

Oh looky there...direct links to each one! ;) How convenient?!

1. Florida Georgia Line tickets so I can get my shine on! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

2. Texas ring from James Avery - duh

3. Personalized return address stamp with our new addy

4. Monogrammed tumbler for our many river trips this summer!

5. Kate Spade Skinny Mini Bow studs {swoon!}

6. Kate Spade Love Notes Bow ring

7. Spectacular Weddings of Texas book {obsessed}

8. Initial heart necklace with mine and Beau's initials. {For a second I thought about adding an "O" in there for "Oakley" but then that would make the necklace read "S.O.B.". Ya-not a good idea.}

Not pictured:

a non-surgically repaired, fully recovered shoulder
a puppy that doesn't bite the daylights outta me
a vegan chocolate cake from Whole Foods
another blessed year to be alive

I must say I am very thankful to be adding yet another candle to my cake this year. I have a feeling 27 is going to top the charts! ;) Yep-I said it.

While I'd like to pretend it's Friday...

2013-04-08T09:05:00.001-05:00

It's Monday. I've been one-armed for over a week now. And I'm trying to co-raise a 10-week old piranha of a puppy. (Those puppy teeth will be the death of me...I swear.) Needless to say, impatience and frustrated would be the perfect word combination to describe my current situation.

While I'd like to pretend it's Friday, I have two fully-functioning arms and a puppy who doesn't bite the shizznit out of me anymore, those would be unrealistic expectations so lets go back in time to the weekend, shall we?

one - three. Our baby. Yes-I'm a little obsessed. Yes-she's already doubled in size. Yes-I want to pull out every last tooth in her head.
four. If this were a game of clue, I'd say it was Annie Oakley, in the shower, next to the raccoon.
five. His and her's brights for our housewarming party! Cannot WAIT to get in that skirt!!
six. Coral mani with a blue party nail. #yesiknoweasterwaslastweekend
seven. Guess who hit up the gym this weekend, sling and all!? Oh yes. This girl.
eight. Guess who also spent a fair amount of Sunday at the pool?!
nine. First sunburn of 2013. I will gladly accept it! #alittlevitamindneverhurtnoone

Sunday night we made a little headway on our housewarming party plans, took little Miss Annie Oakley on a LONG walk around the lake (she's getting REALLY good on her leash, y'all!) and ended the night watching the ACM's. Carrie, Miranda and Jana Kramer totally rocked the stage and can we talk about the Garth Brooks/George Strait duet? Was it just me or did you die and go to heaven seeing the two of them on stage together?!

Country music history, right there, y'all!

Hope you all had a fab weekend! What do you say we kick this week in the tush?! ;)

Linking up with Sami today!

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. - Fiesta Themed Baby Shower

2013-04-04T06:17:00.000-06:00

Hola friends! Not gonna lie...I've been hiding all the tiny little details from my sissy-in-law's fiesta themed baby shower we threw this past weekend specifically for today's link up!

Let's just go ahead and say 99% of the shower was Pinterest-inspired (Duh. Have you met me?) and below are the original pins we got the ideas from:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

I won't do a lot of talking (err-typing) because, well, I'm one-armed these days and because the pictures kind of explain it all. When I say Pinterest threw up in my house this day, it is no lie...

Tissue paper tassel garland (original tutorial here)

Game prizes - "From our shower to yours" with body wash and loofah inside.
(Original pin here.)

Hostesses :)

Some of you may or may not know that my sister-in-law, Julie, is currently 25 weeks pregnant with TRIPLET GIRLS! (Yes-it's still SO surreal!) She's been on hospital bed rest for a little over 2 weeks now and her husband has been SUCH a trooper and has been attending ALL of her showers in her place. (Super dad, right? What man do you know that would be bold enough to face 20-something women at a baby shower?!) When it came time to open presents, we Skyped Julie so she could say "hi!" to all her guests and see all the gifts she would be receiving. It's seriously the neatest thing ever!

(Mirror and wreath in background also Pinterest-inspired...)

Even Brian "ooh'd & aww'd" with us a couple times! ;)

Me and Brian, soon-to-be-daddy-of-three!! (Whoa.)

Asking me if I will I be hosting another fiesta-themed shower would be like asking if I add lime to my vodka. Perhaps I'm bias but it is probably one of THE most fun shower themes I've seen to date. ;) Just sayin'...

You know the drill!

+Link up using the tool below

+Link back to mine & Katie's blogs so other people can learn about the link up

+Include the button below by pasting it into your HTML

+Don't forget to post it on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest! Get yourself out there!

E is for Easter (and Emergency Room)

2013-04-02T20:18:00.000-06:00

A quick glance at my Easter weekend:

one. Tissue paper garland in the making for sissy-in-law's shower. Original tutorial found here.
two. Oakley's newest yoga pose. Legs for dayyssss! Sister is growing by the minute...I swear.
three. Spring brights and stripes.(Old Navy steal-$5!)
four. Bridesmaid dress shopping with my bridey girl, Ashley.
five. More baby shower prep! (Deets to come on Thursday for Saw it. Pinned it. Did it.!)
six. Sneaky peek at shower decor. ;)
seven. Baby shower fiesta - la cake! (THE most delicious vanilla almond cake in the entire world!)
eight. Party in my SIL's room! She'll be 25 weeks this Wednesday! Praying for at least 8 more weeks!
nine. Oakley snuggling with her Easter bunny.

And while I'd like to tell you how I indulged in the BIGGEST Easter dinner ever, hunted for all kinds of pastel-colored eggs and ate hundreds of Cadberry bunnies, my Easter Sunday looked, well, a lil' like so:

Don't worry...nothing life threatening and I'm already feeling better...just a little, ohhh you know... dislocated shoulder. That's all. (And yes, if you think I look drugged out of my mind in that photo, it's because I am. This was right before they completely sedated me to pop that sucker back into place.)

While I'd like to say I was fighting off five year olds in a mad Easter egg hunt, I have no cool story to go with this. Basically, the story went down like so:

Beau pulls up to gas tank
I remain in passenger seat
Lady pulls up in front of us to get gas
I look down to play on Instagram
I look back up to see that she is about to back into us
Panic mode
I flail my arm over to honk the horn & before I could even push down on it...
BAM!
Dislocated shoulder

See? Lame. I know...f

Be jealous of my newest accessory...

My life has succumbed to my husband dressing me AND doing my hair. That guy...he's been such a good nurse for the past couple of days!

While my bones are all back in their designated spots (thank goodess!), and I am in minimal pain (thanks drugs!), some of my tendons and ligaments were damaged and I also have some nerve damage due to the bone pushing into the nerves in my arm so I'll be seeing an orthopedic surgeon this afternoon to make sure I don't need surgery. If you wouldn't mind saying a little prayer about that, I'd appreciate it more than you know!!

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. - Toothpaste Tricks + How to Frame a Dead Animal

2013-03-28T07:10:00.001-06:00

This is the first and, most likely, the last Pinterest project I will ever participate in that involves a dead animal. For all you animal activists or PETA members, you may want to go ahead and press the little red "x" in the top corner of your screen. For the rest of you, well, don't say I didn't warn you.

By now, you all know I come from a family of hunters

and, to no surprise, I married one, too...

There's nothing sexier than a man in camo and snake boots. Nothing.

Animals hanging on the wall are nothing new to me so when I came across this pin, and realized we had about 6 animals to hang on ours, I instantly knew I'd be recreating it in an effort to make these animals more "decor-like"...if you will. (Just got with it, mmmkay?)

Now if I could only find a way to pull of a tin wall...

Anywho-here's what you'll need, you know...besides a husband who likes to kill any wild animal in his sight:

One dead animal | XL barnwood frame from Hob Lob | hanging doo-hickies + hammer | toothpaste

You may all be wondering what the heck toothpaste has to do with this? Well-call me an overachiever (or don't) because this post actually includes TWO pins! (See? Overachiever.)

via

Use your toothpaste as a marker on the back of your frame before nailing anything to your walls. Dab a little on the hanger, press against the wall and voila! Now you know where your nails should go!

Flipping genius, right?

Once you know where your nails are going, ask ~~make~~ your husband hang your frame. Trust me...anytime an animal gets hung in our house, Beau is always the first one to jump at the opportunity to hang it so I really didn't even have to butter him up for this one...

Use the toothpaste trick on the back of your animal too, and...ladies and gentle men...I present to you... the framed animal head.

This guy is a Scimitar Oryx, generally found in Africa. Beau had the privilege of shooting him in 2011 (but in South Texas) and I'll be honest, he really is SO pretty! (Not to mention, the meat alone fed us for over an entire year and was, hands down, the best meat in the WORLD. No lie.) That blank space at the bottom? I'm envisioning some sort of little plaque with a description of the animal along with when/where he was shot. And don't even think for a second this guy won't be decked out for every holiday that rolls around...he's known for wearing a Santa hat, ya know...

To give you a better idea as to where he's hanging-this is in one of the corners of our living room...

I'm picturing maybe a leather chair and a side table to go along the other wall to balance it out. Maybe some shelves too? Iono? I'm not the decorator here...I just hang dead things on mah walls.

Love it? Hate it? How'd I do?!

You know the drill kiddos!

+Link up using the tool below

+Link back to mine & Katie's blogs so other people can learn about the link up

+Include the button below by pasting it into your HTML

+Don't forget to post it on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest! Get yourself out there!

Poof Patrol to the Rescue

2013-03-27T07:16:00.001-06:00

Remember that time you asked for a tutorial on poofing your hair so I filmed a really quick, low-quality video with terrible lighting? I may be able to poof the crap outta some hair but (obviously) video filming and editing is not my forte. Sorry friends...you'll get the point anyways.

And for the record, yes-my favorite word is "um."

As promised, here are your new best friends:

MetaGrip Premium Bob Pins from Sally Beauty Supply.

(The come in different sizes and colors, too! Yay for options!)

Tresemme Tres Two Hair Spray & Suave Dry Shampoo
***
Don't forget...the higher the hair, the closer to God.
***
Questions? Leave 'em!

Poof Patrol, over and out.