Friday, February 27, 2015

Friday, The Best Day

THE GOOD LIFE BLOG


The weekend is here. It is time to clean house and make some room for possible house guests. When we have BBQs, someone always ends up staying the night. I blame my bar tending skills of yesteryear for that one! But before I start shopping for food and drinks, I thought I would share my five favorite shopping scores of the week. Grab your coffee and dive on in ladies!


{One}
   My sticky notes came in this week. I have been on the hunt for some adorable sticky notes and all I had been able to find are neon colors that do not do well with my eyes. When in doubt, go on Amazon. These are a fantastic shade of light blue with darling gold foil pops. I love them so much, I kinda don't want to use them and run out.

{Two}
   I scored the perfect quilt for the guest room at TJMaxx yesterday. I have had my eye on it for a bit and it just went on sale. I can never resist a sale, especially at places like TJs or Marshalls. Nothing haunts you more then a purchase you didn't make!


{Three}
   I finished the glider corner of the nursery with the shelf. It was another TJ find that was a hideous brown/purple color and was missing a hook. One can of spray paint and a new hook later it now holds all of our Christening gowns. The one on the left is Lizzie's, then mine, then my husband's! They probably won't stay up long because I don't want them to discolor, but I had to hang them for at least a little bit.






Cutie!


{Four}
   And speaking of baby Lizzie, mommy made a very big baby-oriented purchase yesterday: Size 2 diapers! She's getting bigger everyday. I found a premie diaper in her room the other day and it blew my mind that those were once too big for her; now she's outgrown another size. Oh time, please slow down!
{Five}
   Mommy purchase: Gevalia. I love this coffee. I just hope this box of cups work with my Keurig this time. If not, I found a {trick} online to make it work!



If you would like to join in on the fun with the ladies behind 5 on Friday and Oh Hey Friday, click on the buttons at the top and link up. Have a fantastic weekend everyone. Stay warm!


Saturday, February 21, 2015

Damn you Oak Trees

Allergies are killing me over here in the Florida Panhandle. That crazy storm that has taken over the US has shaken the early pollen out of the trees around these parts. I am hurting! The past week I was nursing a mean allergy attack in the form of a congested/ head cold feeling. I still hurt a little, but I am just so grateful I can't give this sickness to the babe. It really doesn't help that I have a huge backyard filled with mature Live Oaks that l-o-o-o-ve this roller coaster ride called weather.


This is the view from my kitchen window. In the summer it is green and gorgeous but right now it is sad and brown. Almost every square inch of ground is covered in leaves from those trees. No way do we rake them! You run over those little devils with your lawn mower and make mulch. And nope those are not all of the trees. There are five more to the left of the hammock! I cannot wait until it heats up a little and my allergies recede long enough for me to sit outside and enjoy a little sun. I need some Vitamin D. It is supposed to get up to 70 today so I am thinking me and the munchkin might put down a blanket in the yard and have a little pick nick.  
 

Luna had the right idea last summer. lol. Crazy girl. I can't wait until every day is that beautiful again. Oh summer hurry up already! And I'm no where near the worst of winter!

What are you looking forward to this summer? What is the first thing you are going to do when the sun is out everyday? 



Friday, February 13, 2015

5 on Friday {2/13}



The weekend is here! Horray! That cute, pudgy flying baby will be making his rounds tomorrow with those arrows: be on the look out for flowers and chocolates ladies. So let's all link up and enjoy our last day of the week together before the romance begins!

{One}
   Valentine's Day. I know at this point y'all are just as ready for it to come and go as I am; after all of the romance that is headed our way of course! I am just so ready for the ridiculous perfume commercials to stop being played. It's a running joke in my house that if you don't know what to get a woman for Christmas or Valentine's - obviously she will love random perfumes that have people on horseback and swimming in the Mediterranean to promote them. Totally. Lol. I prefer flowers personally.

{Two}
   I finished the carrier cover this week. I love it. Classic with a touch of color and pattern. It's a nice dark color so it acts like a blackout curtain does at home when Lizzie sleeps; but it's a light cotton fabric so she won't sweat under the black. I know black is not everyone's cut of tea, but I've got a few pinks and whites up my sleeve : ) Be on the lookout for the tutorial on Monday!





{Three}
    I am redecorating the house again. I can't help it. I have been watching a lot of HGTV lately and the decor bug bit me very hard this time. Our bedroom got a little face lift with new art above the bed and raising the curtains to the ceiling. It really does make a huge difference when it comes to ceiling height. The room feels so much taller now. I love walking into our bedroom now that it looks a little more polished. I think I sleep better when the room is all done up.





{Four}
   I have some big plans for that plain headboard of mine. It matches our wall color way too much right now. I wish we could paint but as you know, renting. Boo. So instead of that I bought all of the supplies to pretty the headboard up like this one. Now I just need to start it, finish it and love it.



{Five}
   And I have even more plans for new throw pillows on the bed. I want to match the gold in the new pieces above the bed. I'm leaning towards the arrows or maybe even our monogram in gold right in the middle of a nice, fluffy pillow.



New projects always make my heart go pitter patter!   

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Texas Chili Recipe





It is recipe share day here on this fab Wednesday! Lizzie only woke up once last night so I feel fantastic. I hope she keeps it up. I love waking up completely rested for a change. So anyway, back to the food! Chili. 



Number 1: Do not put beans in chili! Don't do it. Chili is a meat and tomato dish, no beans. A true, true 'Texas Red' doesn't even have tomato, so to put bean in it is totally sacrilegious. If you really want beans with your chili, I recommend baked beans as a side. 

Number 2: Spice! I like a good and spicy chili. Not to the point of tears but just enough to where you get the heat in the back of mouth. If you like a less spicy chili, start with half of the seasoning then after you're done cooking, spice the rest to what you like. A bland chili turns into a pasta sauce. Trust me, I've done it. It's weird. 

Number 3: Cornbread is the perfect side for chili. The sweetness of the bread is the best compliment to the spice of the chili. Jiffy corn muffin mix is my favorite. I combine two boxes in a 9" round and bake for the recommended time to get a cake sized bread. It is delicious. 

Number 4: Enjoy! Chili is fun meal. Load it up with cheese. Make a Frito pie. Do whatever your little heart desires. But no beans : )      




In honor of Texas Chili Day, Miss Lizzie decided today was the perfect day for her Texas onesie. 




Lord I could eat this child up. Those eyes! 
Let me know how your Chili turns out! Did you make it super spicy or the mildest of mild? Either way, I hope it's super delicious and takes the edge off of these last few weeks of winter! 

Monday, February 9, 2015

Weekend Goodness


This weekend felt like a fantastically long weekend that's for sure. So I'll take it from the top! Friday night, Lizzie Rose went to her first bar. Kinda sorta. We went out with friends to a little neighborhood place and no one had been there before, so we all assumed it was more of a restaurant that had a bar. It ended up being more of a bar that served food. But it was super yummy and a really cozy place. Kinda like if someone transformed their home into a tiny bar/restaurant. Thankfully we were there early before the real 'going out crowd' came so no one even seemed to really notice that she was even there. The only give away was her car seat under the table lol. She was a champ. Slept in my arms almost the whole time and let us relax and have dinner with some friends that we hadn't seen in a while. What a trooper.

Saturday, Mama got some time to herself! Wa Hoo! I had the second best massage of my life this weekend. The only one that has been better was the prenatal massage I got in my third trimester when I was as big as a house and achey all over. (Magic hands that masseuse had, magic hands.) Then I did some light shopping afterwards; all by myself. Daddy ended up having a lot of one on one time with the little lady that morning. I'm not going to lie, it was nice but kinda weird to be all alone without either one of them. I am so used to having the munchkin in tow that I truly did not know what to do with my hands when I didn't have a stroller to push. I felt like I was missing something the entire time I was out. I was constantly checking to see if I had my phone or looking to see if my keys ran away. I felt like I was missing my left arm I was so thrown. The best part of my solo shopping was when I started talking to myself and attracted some side eye stares. I usually talk to Lizzie when I shop. You know the usual "What do you think of this shirt baby?" "This one is too blue, don't you think?" Yeah, I was talking out loud to my invisible baby in the middle of TJ Maxx. I was a true weirdo. So, when I text Hubby to see how they were doing and got this picture back as a response:


I knew it was time to head back home. Poor babe still fights a bottle and she was hangry!  

Sunday was brunch and errand day. Oh I love brunch. Eggs Benedict are the way to my heart. And mimosas. Yum. When you finish brunch day with a little antiquing and a Jo Ann's run, it's a really good day. I am starting my newest sewing project this week; a spring/summer baby carrier cover. The one that I made a few months ago is a winter fleece cover that would not mix well with the coming Florida heat. Poor Lizzie would melt! So be sure to come back later this week for a tutorial if you want to make your own!
I can't wait to get started! 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

4 Months with Miss Lizzie

My little lady is four months old. I cannot believe she has only been here for four months. It feels like she was always here. It was such a natural transition from just the two of us to a family of three. Sure the days are a little bit longer and the nights are sleepless sometimes, but it was not as overwhelming as I thought it would be. We just have a new normal now. The best part of our new normal are our mornings. Lizzie loves her mornings. Especially now that she has her little baby voice! She gets our attention by babbling away until we wake up and then she gives us the biggest smiles of the day. I love mornings now.







My little cutie pie. You are too adorable for words. Mommy and Daddy love you so much. Happy 4 Months munchkin!
  

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Something's Gotta Give

I am in love with the house from that movie! Like crazy in love. It was on TV yesterday during Lizzie's late nap and instead of cleaning the very neglected living room, I ended up lying on the couch and watched the whole film from start to finish. I could feel my decorator heart yearning for a house like that one. I love that it is beachy but not beach themed. The entire movie, I only saw one seashell. Complete and total perfection!






The white walls, enormous windows, cushy furniture and black accents were making me want to gut everything in my home and start over to make something resembling that gorgeous house. It is perfect. And the piece de resistance is the kitchen. Oh that kitchen. 





The subway tile. White, open cabinets. Black counters. Pendant lights. And that massive island! My dream come true. 

This is one of the major downsides to military life. Constant moving = No time to invest in a dream home. It will be nothing but rentals for the time being. Sure we have friends that have bought houses and made them their dream spaces. But for us, we will wait until we can make our dream home our forever home. I can't wait until we are living in it and for more then three years! But unfortunately (or fortunately), that wont be anytime soon; but I can keep on designing until then. I am pretty sure this is exactly what I want; at least for now : )

What does your dream house look like?