Friday - The I ripped my favorite plaid shirt edition!

Bummer right? I have had it for more years than I want to admit, but something that lasts that long, lets just say it's been a hard breakup. I wish I could fix it but I have not a single clue how to sew and it's rather large and right at my under arm.... sooo, there's that. Great way to start a Friday, huh?

Anywho, I went to my closet and got another just like it. Except it wasn't plaid. Or blue. Or not even the same brand. Just very similar. I've spent the majority of today searching my favorite places for a new one. I need some cute spring plaids, yes? Yes! 

As sad as that was, it is Friday and I have the night to myself again - Brylee is getting some grandparent time and Tate has a softball tournament. If you're looking for me tonight I'll probably be on the couch in sweats eating pizza and hopefully finally getting to watch Fuller House. For some strange reason my bluray has decided it didn't want to connect to netflix. Why???

 

Enough rambling. Let's get to my Friday Favorites. 

{ONE}

Before I left Odessa on Sunday I went by Bath and Body Works to pick up some new spring soap. Their soap is my favorite and I'm not sure I'll ever buy soap anywhere else.

{TWO}

My new Tone It Up package came in Monday. I know I talk about TIU all the time, but I just love them - everything about them! They have so many different kinds (most for free) of workouts and I actually enjoy them. After doing so well in January with my goals I rewarded myself with their bands and foam roller. Right now I hate them both but my body will thank me later. :)

{THREE}

Having the ability to vote is another favorite! And for any of you in Texas and didn't know this (like me!) any time you move counties you have to re-register 30 days prior to voting day! Luckily I figured this out 31 days prior!



{FOUR}

School has been registered and paid for. Bring it on!



{FIVE}

Have you guys ever heard of 6PM? I don't know how or why the prices are as fantastic as they are but I'm in love! I've already ordered 2 pair of shoes for me (these and these) and 1 for Brylee (these)! Seriously, if you haven't checked it out, do so and thank me later! I own the cognac and black that are similar to these but Dillards has discontinued them so to say I was excited to find them in white is an understatement.


{SIX}

Okay so if you were like me when you were younger and obsessed with Limited Too I have a PSA for you! They're having some flashback sale on Zulily so if you have any girls or know of anyone that does go check it out! I have my eye on a few things for B. :) Apparently, after doing some nostalgic research, it's old news that they're reopening in 2016. I guess they're starting with things like this. My tween self is rejoicing!



{SEVEN}

And lastly, some of my favorite posts from this week:

| Heather shared 10 Tips to Boost Your Metabolism |
| Marquis shared a letter to The Overwhelmed Mom - loved this! |
| Beth shared her Resurrection Eggs and I cannot wait to do them with Brylee |

Linking up with my favorite Friday gals.

Erika | Andrea | Narci

April | Christina | Natasha

Karli | Amy


Heather


Amanda

Have a glorious weekend friends! 

Monthly To Do | March

I'm so glad March is here! January is the start of a new year but I always feel like March is really when things seem to refresh! I've officially decided that spring has hit Texas. It's been in the high 70's and low 80's for a few weeks now with the occasional dip in temps, like today it's 71. I can already tell it's going to be a hot summer!





Enough about the weather.
Hi March!! :)
Today I'm going to tell ya my March To-Do list and recap my February ones. Let's go!

1. Oily skin remedy -Yes! I ran out of my Rodan + Fields one day and realized I was also out of Cetaphil so I needed something stat until my R+F came in. FYI: I do the R+F at night and the Cetaphil in the morning. Well browsing around Target looking for something 'oil control' related I came across this! Friends, it was the perfect add on to my skincare routine. Since it's Cetaphil I know my skin wouldn't react to it. I can tell a huge difference now that I've used it for a few weeks.

2. Appointments: Eye, Dentist, Hair - Hair - Check! I was able to get mine and B's done when we went to Odessa a few weekends ago. Dentist- Check! We both go next Thursday. Eye - negative. I'm still trying to decide on an optometrist for us.

3.  Activities with Brylee - Well, we've painted, played, cooked, played, colored, painted.. etc. - the normal things but I still haven't found something to do! I heard another small town nearby has toddler gymnastics but I cannot get anybody to return my phone call. Boo!

4. Organizing challenge - Ha! I did the dining room. That's it. I feel like I need an entire weekend to do my kitchen and I just never had the time this month. See March!

5. Keep up with January To-Do's:

• Read 2-3 books - I read one and started one. I just can't seem to get into this one.
• Lose 2-3 lbs - ha! I gained far more than I'd like to admit. It's those dang cookies!
• Morning routine - Yes! I've been getting up and at em' earlier and earlier and I'm back to loving it!
• Workout 3-4 x per week - Yes! I've worked out 4 or more times each week!
• Daily devotions/Bible reading - I've loved my Jesus Calling devotions but I haven't been reading my Bible like I wanted to.

Now, on to March! Lots of things to do in March. 

1. Purge closets - Clean, organize and giveaway/sell! We have way more than we need and I have my eye on a few things for spring/summer but I'm making myself clean out the closes first.

2.  Clean and organize bathrooms and kitchen - I was supposed to do the kitchen for the past 2 months. I have got to do it this month! And the bathrooms. I hate clutter and it needs to be fixed!

3. Plant garden - flowers, shrubs, produce, herbs - all of it! I've been reading up on how to do it because I definitely don't have a green thumb. I do want a pretty patio and with as much fruits/veggies we eat, we might as well be growing them!

4. Bible study - I've been reading my Jesus Calling but I really want to dig in and study the Bible. Anybody have any good recommendations?

5. Take Brylee outside - The weather is too nice to be inside here! She can play while I tend to my garden! :) She may even want to help with the garden!

6. Order canvas prints - I've been needing to do this since we had the pictures taken in November! I need to order a few big canvas' and some prints.

7. Go to bed earlier - Since I've been waking up earlier I need to go to bed earlier to make sure I have enough sleep. I don't take naps - they make me grouchy so in order to catch those zzz's I need to be in bed earlier.

8. Easter baskets and Easter dresses - I've started on B's basket and she has a dress. Mine is a different story. I wanted this lush one but I'm afraid it'll be too short on me... long legs + long torso = odd fitting clothes!

9. Walk/Run 2x a week - I've been working out every single day but I really want to start running again. With Tate coaching softball, B and I can go up there for a bit and she can hang with him on the fields and I can run the track and bleachers! We'll see!

10. Whole 30 (kind of) - I don't want to give up my french vanilla creamer and I don't want to tell myself I cannot have ice cream when I want it. I want to cut out on a lot of things but keep moderation in mind when eating sweets/snacks that I normally wouldn't have. And yes, I know I need to stop baking and buying cookies! 

I'm going to keep the following  going each month: 

1. Lose 2-3 lbs per month

2. Read 2-3 books per month

3. Daily devotions

4. Workout every day!

I can do every single one of my goals. every. single. one! 

Good luck to you on all your monthly to-do's and goals! 

What's Hap-Pinning | Living Room Edition

First off, Happy Texas Independence day to my fellow Texans out there! :) I've always told Tate he could move me wherever he wanted just as long as we didn't leave Texas! Good thing he agrees with me.



Moving on. 

I think anytime you buy or rent a new house there is always something you wish were different about it whether it be gutting an entire room or something simple like the color of a wall. There always seems to be something you would have done differently. When we first started looking at homes here the one we were living in didn't even seem like an option to me. I had my heart set on another one and when the sellers pulled out from the offer I was devastated. We had looked at our house once and not one single thing appealed to me - small kitchen, wood paneling EVERYWHERE, terrible carpet, awful wallpaper, tiny closets, old appliances, ugly blinds - nothing! I guess there is one thing I liked - the front door because I would be seeing my way out to never return.  When the above sell fell through (that was our 3rd offer) I was ready to call it quits. My realtor called me a few days later and asked me to meet her at this house alone. She said the house had charm and a ton of potential but I thought she was crazy. To please her though, I met her. Before we even walked through the house she told me to close my eyes in each room, imagine it being a different color with my furniture in it and throw in some life (the dogs, B's toys, cups on the counter, etc) and then open my eyes to the room. If after that I still had no desire for the house we'd start over. 

Y'all, she was so right! Our house was built in the 70's so the layout isn't something I wanted but it was common then. The kitchen is tiny and that's something we won't be able to change. The closets are small but they work. But the bedrooms are huge! The living room is huge! The walls, wallpaper and carpet can totally be fixed! This house does have so much potential and I am glad I get to be the one to start the renovating of it. Since this won't be our forever home, I can get it started for another family to love later. 

Linking up with Jenn and Jessi for What's Hap-pinning Wednesday.

 We both agreed on the living room and a fresh coat of paint in each room as our first priority. We are counting the hallway and entry way as the living room also because they will all be the same paint/trim/outlet covers.  My inspiration now, then you'll see what the living room originally looked like on down. I'll show the after pictures when it's complete!



I would have never picked those colors together but after playing around with swatches and spending nearly an hour in Lowes looking at gray, they work! Our furniture is that color brown so I was set on a cream color, the gray is the color Tate picked. I was so against gray and brown but after finding inspiration from pinterest I'm in love! I'm so glad we went with the gray because the cream would have taken forever to cover the wood.  The navy is the other main color and the other 3 are accents.


My first inspiration photo... this is what I based the entire living room off of. After Tate accidentally ( I use that loosely because I think he meant to do this) painted the trim gray also, I kinda liked it instead of white. 

 
Although I wouldn't use yellow, I love the idea of a colored pocket door! Tate wants to get rid of it but I love this!

 
The color we've picked out for our floors.

 
This won't be a 'do now' project but I'm hoping to paint our doors white or replace them with white doors. I think the white will brighten up the gray and floors. 

 
Where I got the inspiration for the accent colors.

To see all these pins and more check out my Living Room board on Pinterest.

Sidenote: The house was never on the market. To make a long story short the lady lived in a nursing home and her family had little by little began moving things so the house was never "complete" when we started looking therefore I have no other before pictures other than the ones I took.

Here are the before pictures: 

Entry way

 

 Looking into the living room from the entry way.

Looking into the living room from the dining room.

Looking into the living room from the hallway (pocket door).

Fireplace.. obvious! Ha!

Hallway. The far right of the picture is that pocket door that leads into the living room.

Now, enough pictures. Here's our checklist:

Living Room, Entry Way, Hallway

// paint wood paneling and walls - Check - Valspar Silver Dollar

// new floors (living room and hallway) - almost! We've decided and bought just haven't done it

// white wash fireplace - changed  my mind because I like it how it is :)

// new curtains and blinds - curtains - check! I found some I love on Zulily, blinds - in the works

// rug and throw pillows - this is the pillow above but I think it's too big. I've found some super cute pillows and rugs at Home Goods I may get.

// paint trim (white or gray) - I thought white but after Tate "accidentally" painted gray, I kinda like it

// fire place screen - I found a few things I like on pinterest but we haven't decided

// new ceiling fan and light fixtures - I like these for the hallway and entry way and we can't decide on a ceiling fan

// collage wall - will this every really be complete?

// entry way table and decor - have a bookshelf for now, working on decor

// doors - replace or paint? I love the look of the white doors and I think they'll look great with or without white trim

// pocket door - Tate wants to get rid of it, I like it. We'll see.
// outlet and light covers - haven't found them yet but I what a brushed nickel

Whew! That was a lot - sorry! But I'm super excited about finishing this up and can't wait to show y'all the finished look!

Weekending | A Surprise Edition

Happy March 1st, friends! I took a small blogging break yesterday to do some blog maintenance and finish getting registered for school. It was such a long day so I just decided to give myself a break. Then I woke up this morning feeling crumby and finally around lunchtime I started feeling better. It was a whole mix of nonsense: headache, nausea, sore throat - the works!

On another note, I had such a great weekend!! At the beginning of January I brought up the idea of doing something special for my mom's birthday to my sister thus giving us the idea for a surprise party. We decided to round up the sisters (my aunts - my mom is the middle of 5 girls!) and once they were on board we started brainstorming ideas. We ultimately decided on bowling - my mom and aunts were on a bowling league at one time and it's just a thing we all love, so why not?! We had the best time! We had talked to my step-dad and figured out exactly how to get her there. Funny sidenote: my mom sent all the girls a text asking to go bowling after church and they all had to make up excuses why they would be busy. :)





Okay, back to Friday! I took off Friday afternoon and told my mom (and y'all) that I was going to the softball tournament in Stephenville (also mentioned it in my Wednesday post)! She totally bought it (hi mom!). I was staying with Tate's parents so she would never even have a chance to see me in town before the party. Another funny sidenote: As I was talking to her and telling her I was almost to Stephenville my GPS was telling me to exit in Odessa but luckily she couldn't hear it. Whew! Ha! I waited until after I knew she was at home for the night to go to Target to get last minute things for Saturday. The Target in Odessa has gone through some major face-lifts so I'm glad Tate's mom offered to keep Brylee - I had plenty of time to just browse at the new things! I ended up buying Brylee some summer cloths, swimsuits and shoes....oops! :)

Saturday we got up and just messed around the house for a bit (can't risk being seen!) and since it was my mom's actual birthday I tried to figure out a way to call her but decided not to and just sent her a text telling her "Happy Birthday! Right in the middle of a game so I'll call you when it's over!".  I didn't want Brylee to innocently give it away where we were, you know how kids are. Anyways, the party was at 2 so around 12:45 I ran through Chick Fil A to get B and I something to hold us over until bowling and headed to my sisters to help her with some last minute things. We loaded up and met everybody at the bowling alley, got set up and waited for my mom. She showed up about 10 minutes later and was totally surprised! She saw me and Brylee first and said "you liar!" haha! It was all in good fun though! My step-dad was about to get in trouble in the car also because he wasn't taking her where he said. Surprise parties are so much fun! I wish I had taken more pictures, but I guess that's what happens when you're having too much fun!


 
 




Two games and a few hours later we went out to dinner since my grandfather decided to surprise us all and come to the party too (he doesn't live in Odessa and only one person knew he was coming). We love La Bodega! We try to go there every time we're in Odessa. I had to send Tate a picture of the menu because it's one of his favorites.


 

 After dinner we went out to my dads house for a bit. Brylee got up close and personal with the longhorns and fed the horses every carrot she found. :)



 

Sunday we got up early and met Tate's family for breakfast then I went by his brother's new house to check it out (but really just to love on baby Merritt). Kidding, kind of. :) Then it was back to home, sweet, home.




Linking up with Biana and Meghan!

Hope y'all had a fantastic weekend!