Fixer Upper Dreaming

I haven't meant to be so absent from the blog lately. Life has been busy. And I've been watching far too much Fixer Upper...ha!

Who doesn't love Chip & Joanna Gaines?! I don't think I've missed one episode of HGTV's Fixer Upper since its first season. I love everything they do! Here are a few of my favorites:

I love the B&B they revived.

The Magnolia House

Happy Thanksgiving!

A little Thanksgiving laugh...



Have a happy Thanksgiving!

DIY Gifts on a Budget

So, don't panic, buuuuuut....

Have you started thinking about Christmas gifts? Well, I made a list of some of my favorites and I'm sharing them with you!

Last Minute Halloween Stuff

Well, Halloween is tomorrow and I don't know about you, but we are still putting our costumes together (typical).

I thought I'd take a quick trip down memory lane and I have a few last minute ideas too!

2007

Lion

Top 5 Pins

I was scrolling through Pinterest and thought I'd share my Top 5 Pins for the last month. There are some goodies here :)

Number FIVE: DIY Oversized Growth Chart Ruler

This is one of my favorite DIY projects. It's functional, beautiful and easy to put together.

A Stump Side Table

Hey friends! I'm sharing a unique and easy project today...a Stump Side Table. I fell in love with these when I read The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith. If you've followed her blog for any amount of time, you may have seen some of her stumps. She has a few different blog posts about them here, here and here.

West Elm also sells these beauts for $249 each.

The cost for mine, you ask? ZERO DOLLARS!

September 11th, 2001

Today is 9/11, the anniversary of a horrific attack on our country. I was in New York on that day and this is my story.

source

Camping Meal Plan

Since the end of summer is near, we're trying to squeeze in a camping trip. Planning meals is always a challenge, but I've found some recipes that work well for our family and are easy to put together.

source

The $5 Cabinet

I found this gem on Craigslist for FIVE BUCKS!

It was pretty gnarly. And very purple.

Fruit & Yogurt Pops

I hope you had a great 4th of July! I'm keeping the red, white and blue theme going and enjoying some patriotic Fruit & Yogurt Pops!

I shared my simple 4-ingredient popsicle recipe over at Skip to my Lou. Go check it out here!

Summer List 2015

School is out and summer is in full swing!

Our kiddos will now be heading into 4th grade...

2nd grade...

And one more year of preschool...

By the end of the school year we are all ready for a more laid back schedule. But having a summer list helps us stay busy with fun stuff.

Here is this year's list:

This is our 7th year of making lists and the kids look forward to it every year. Here are some of the previous years' lists:

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

What's on your list this summer?

Printable Straw Flags

We're less than one month away from the 4th of July! Our Independence Day tradition is attending a big shindig at my parents' house and one thing that we're never short on is good food.

This year, I'm adding some festive straw flags into the mix. And the fun part? I'm sharing them with you so you can use them too!

They are super easy to put together. 

Double Digits...TEN!

On Friday, we celebrated our boy's 10th Birthday!! Hard to believe it's been ten years!

We started the day with doughnuts (naturally, since it was also National Doughnut Day!) then we took him and his buddies to play some epic laser tag and nickel games. He was so sweet to let his sisters tag-a-long. 

We were able to sneak over to the pool for a little swimming and the rest of the weekend was filled with A LOT of baseball. But it was all worth it since they won first place in their weekend tournament.

So proud of those boys!

It was a great birthday weekend and it was spent doing what he loves...baseball, swimming and playing with his friends.

Father's Day Gift Guide (for under $40)

Father's Day is right around the corner. If you're stumped as to what to get, you've come to the right place! I've put together a list of personal gifts for that special dad in your life! And they are all under $40!

For the fisherman: a personalized fishing lure

A Good Ol' Fashioned Birthday Party

When I asked Sweet Pea what she wanted to do for her birthday, her response was..."I want to do a party in the backyard, play games and have chocolate cake." That's my kind of party. Done and done!

We threw a good ol' fashioned vintage birthday party on a Friday after school. The weather was perfect! We had a little snack that included Pink Punch, watermelon, veggies and animal crackers. These cute straws were my color inspiration.

Orange Marmalade Scones

Happy Mother's Day! If you're a mom, may you feel celebrated, relaxed and loved on today!

Looking for a last minute breakfast or brunch to whip up? I'm over at 30 Days sharing my Orange Marmalade Scone recipe.

These scones are delicious and only take about 30 minutes from start to finish. Get the recipe here.

Enjoy!

Sweet Pea Turns 7

Our Sweet Pea turned 7 today!

She loves:

Dancing

Singing

Musicals

Benihana's

Board games

Wearing dresses

Swimming

Bike rides

and

Chocolate Cake

She's our little performer. We often find her making up her own dances and singing her own tune. Her laugh is contagious and she has a sweet confidence about her.

Photo by Carly Carpenter Photography

She is such a blessing and brings so much joy into our family. Happy 7th Birthday Sweet Pea!

Jamberry Giveaway Winner!

And the winner of the $25 gift certificate is...{drum roll please}

DANIELLE BUDKA!

Congratulations Danielle!

Thanks to all who entered! Be sure to keep in touch with us on Facebook :)

Deanna's Jamberry Facebook Page

Jamberry Giveaway

Hey friends! I have a fun post for you today along with a giveaway...YAY!

My friend, Deanna, gave me a cute little gift basket of Jamberry nail wraps in the adult and junior sizes.

How cute is that?!

As you can imagine, my girls were pretty excited to try it out. I was too, since I had purchased the nail wraps for our nieces, but had never really tried them myself.

Look who's 4

This weekend, we celebrated our sweet baby girl's FOURTH birthday!

She loves...

Frozen
Playing games (board & card games)
Mac & Cheese
Riding her scooter
Going to preschool
Doughnuts
Unmatched socks
Playing at the park
and
Dogs (especially Pugs)