Weekly Intentions: April 1st

• Prepare a new art journal (inspiration)

• Update our living growing family scrapbook (inspiration)

• Review a book
• Make a pair of barefoot sandals (inspiration)

• Find a memorial outfit (inspiration)

• Spend time with family
• Dye my own nylons (inspiration)

Home Palette Thursdays

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Mixed by Kip Fulbeck

Mixed by Kip Fulbeck
Chronicle Books (March 1, 2010)
ISBN-10: 0811874087
ISBN-13: 978-0811874083
All Ages
264 pages
Buy Here for $13.57
My Rating: 5/5

Home Palette Thursdays

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Weekly Intentions: March 18

So another week is upon us... the last couple have been insane but I wanted to take a minute and share my intentions for this week :)

• Take my March self-portrait (inspiration)

• Promote my new Bibliophile Collection art (inspiration)

• Test my egg yolk allergy theory
• Update our living growing family scrapbook (inspiration)

• Review a book
• Shop for new spring/summer sandals (inspiration - would totally buy these if they still had my size!)

• Update Telephone Territories

Home Palette Thursdays

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Things I Love Tuesday: The Mobile Boutique Edition

{Oh So Lovely Vintage}

Ok I am in love with this idea right now and really want to start a mobile consignment boutique! If I can raise the investment capital this is something I would like to do in the very near future... I just love the flexibility of it and how I could own a shop and still set my own schedule :)
Here are my absolute favorite mobile boutiques that I have spotted on the internet:

Home Palette Thursdays

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My Ideal Bookshelf

Ideal Bookshelf 138: SLS

A couple days ago I read Apartment Therapy's post on the the amazing Jane Mount and her special project call Ideal Bookshelf. I was blown away! How could I, the extreme book and art nerd, not stumbled across these amazing pieces sooner?

I new I had to have my own ideal bookshelf! But of course I do not have the $250 to have Ms. Mount paint me one herself. So in walked my digital graphics skills. I would just have to digitally "paint" my own ideal bookshelf.

Things I Love Tuesday: The Blog Crush Edition

Ok there are some amazing ladies out their in the blogosphere who give me daily inspiration to be a more creative and motivated person. I don't know where I would be without seeing them in my feed reader everyday :-/

Weekly Intentions: March 4

So last week was very productive and I accomplished everything except for the star wats nails. And I am loving my new hair color. And not on the list but another accomplishment, was my decision to do Project 333 which so far has been rocking. And I did all that despite having a severe cold all week! So for this week I want to:

Limited Edition Print: Owlbert Einstein

Not sure if many you know this, but I have been working as an art teacher for the last year and a half. Well this means I am doing a lot more painting but not many personal projects. So tonight, inspired by Elsie's foray back into painting, I decided to whip up a couple original pieces.

Home Palette Thursdays

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DIY Ombre Hair Tutorial

I have been marveling at all the pretty ombre dye jobs that are oh so popular right now. This really appealed to me because my hair grows so fast that my dark roots always show. So I decided to bite the few dollars and try to ombre dye my own hair before paying a salon for this look.

Project 333

So I mentioned in my 23 before 23 list that I want to conquer Project 333. The philosophy behind this project is to create more with less out of your wardrobe by only working with 33 articles of clothing over the next 3 months.

Things I Love Tuesday: The Beauty Edition

Have I ever expressed to you guys how much I love my skin? You might not guess it looking at me since I am a fan of natural makeup and minimalism but I really strive to take good care of my skin from head to toe. This means daily full body lotioning, and excellent facial cleansing routine and constant hand moistration. So over the years I have found some products that I just can't live without when it comes to taking care of my skin and making sure my face always looks beautiful :)

23 Before 23

So today was my birthday O_O I can't believe I am another year older... I literally woke up today not even realizing that I was 22. Well last year I didn't do so good with accomplishing the things on my 22 Before 22 list. But last year also featured some crazy adjustments and life changes so I am not gonna let myself get down over it. Instead I am going to consider those unexpected and uncontrollable factors and make a list for this year that I think I can actually accomplish.

1. Attend Airplanes and Blazers
2. Get off hormonal contraceptive
3. Discover my home decor signature style - Working on putting this into practice but I definitely know it is artsy/eclectic with vintage influences
4. Go to the 40th Annual Chisholm Trail Roundup BBQ & music festival in Lockhart, TX - Luke and I met my FIL in June. The BBQ was so yummy and had the best Root Beer.
5. Take Luke to NH
6. Take a backpacking trip (Domestic or International)
7. Spend a weekend in Austin
8. Continue to grow my hair out - I did this all year in anticipation of a big new year chop :)
9. Be more social - moving closer to my parents helped this and I even made efforts to do better while living in Dallas by having D over alot.
10. Travel more (see trip ideas on this list) - Yes! We went on a cruise and then made a couple trips up to Dallas after moving South. There were also a couple weekend trips scattered in there. And we have even more planned for the new year.
11. Make my service time
12. Actually finish a writing project
13. Keep my business productive and organized - I am so proud of what I accomplished this past year!
14. Review 23 books on this blog
15. Complete our 2nd anniversary photo shoot and make a photo book out of it to add to my collection - Check & check!
16. Actually lose weight
17. Complete a 30 day wardrobe challenge - I actually snuck this right into the end of 2012 with Project 30.30.30. :)
18. Conquer Project 333 - Yes! It was huge success and a lot of fun! :)
19. Have a real picnic with blanket and basket and all! - We did this for our anniversary :)
20. Entertain at least every other month
21. Be a more genuine blogger and increase reader engagement - working on this by blogging about personal things like finances more and I have been receiving emails from readers :) After reviewing 2012, I was proud to see how much more genuine I got with my posts and shared more personal and posts than pretty fluff.
22. Expand my business - I'm counting this different than #13 because I want it to involve branching out in new directions like going mobile or opening a consignment boutique or both! - Yes! I still have room to work on this but I started by defining my business plan and have now launched 2 new avenues: Poetry on Demand and my baby boutique line.
23. Rebuild our savings "nest-egg" - getting there slowly but surely :)

Weekly Intentions: February 26

So last week wasn't super productive :-/ I did host the Hot Cocoa party and made some date night plans but not much else. In my defense though, I was out of the office 2 days and got food poisoning on Wed so my whole week felt off O_O
For this week, here are my goals:

• Ombre dye my hair (inspiration)

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Walker Childrens; 1 edition (February 14, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0802723462
ISBN-13: 978-0802723468
Ages 12 and up
304 pages
Buy Here for $11.52
My Rating: 5/5

Home Palette Thursdays

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Life Lesson from the Help

So have I mentioned that The Help was my absolute favorite movie from last year. And my whole family loves it too... my mom, my husband, my grandparents, and even my father-in-law.

Weekly Intentions: February 19

So the last few weeks have been really hard for me to try to make intention lists because they were so crazy. We were out of town, then housesitting and had friends from out of town visiting O_O So here is my attempt to finally get back into a groove of normalcy.

Puppy Love

Home Palette Thursdays

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Seeing Dallas on the Cheap {Texas Discovery Gardens}

The Texas Discovery Gardens is a beautiful natural wonder in Dallas. I mean who doesn't love being surrounded by butterflies? And each Tuesday, the gardens are open for free although the butterfly house admission is regular price.


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Home Palette Thursdays

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The Newest Member of Our Family

Meet Blue Bell. We call her Blue and she joined our family this week. She is an adorable 8 week old Pit/German Shepherd puppy. Miss B has adjusted to being a very loving big sister although she is not cool with sharing her food and wants to be able to do whatever Baby Blue is allowed to do as a puppy.

More pics to come once I get them uploaded from my camera.

Seeing Dallas on the Cheap {Trammell Crow Center}

The Trammell Crow Center which features a gorgeous Sculpture Garden. You can find this lovely area at the base of the Center. It is always free though donations are accepted and you will be able to enjoy over 20 statues from the French masters, including Rodin.

Tues. - Sun. 10 am - 5 pm
Thurs. 10 am - 9 pm

Downtown, 2010 Flora Street, 214-979-6430


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Home Palette Thursdays

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Seeing Dallas on the Cheap {Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center}

After celebrating our 1st anniversary at a Ben Folds concert at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, I can't help but rave about this gorgeous venue! And they offer some amazing tour options. Not only are all their private and public tours free. But they also offer a free monthly organ recital. Be sure to check out their website for schedule information :)

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Home Palette Thursdays

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Seeing Dallas on the Cheap {The M-Line}

Want to act like a tourist for a day? Well the M-Line Trolley offers free old-fashioned transportation through Dallas' Uptown neighborhood.
Check out some of the stops on the route:
West Village
Magnolia Theatre
Hotel ZaZa
Th Meyerson Symphony Center
Dallas Museum of Art
American Airlines Center
Dallas World Aquarium

Home Palette Thursdays

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Vintage Wedding Dress Refashion: The Finish

So it's done! All in all it only took 1 day (an evening and the following afternoon) to refashion the vintage wedding dress I found. 

Seeing Dallas on the Cheap {Bryan Street Tavern}

Bryan Street Tavern not only scores 94% likes on Urban Spoon for their pizza but they also offer free pool table use and all day Happy Hour on Sundays. Sounds like a fun night out with friends to me :)

Home Palette Thursdays

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Aww the magic of fotoshop!

Fellow blogger Alma shared this amazing video and I just had to repost it here too :)

Vintage Wedding Dress Refashion: The hunt

So as soon as I came across this gorgeous refashioned dress on Where Did U Get That, I knew I wanted something  like it!
The most mentioned that the dress was originally an 80's wedding dress with puff sleeves. I've totally seen that kind of dress a million times at thrift stores so I thought it would be an easy find.

Seeing Dallas on the Cheap {La Buena Vida Vineyards}

Last week we talked about budget-friendly wine tastings. This week I wanted to share a cool look into the process of making wine :) La Buena Vida Vineyards in Grapevine offers free self-guided tours of their half-acre vineyard that features beautiful landscaping, patio areas, and water fountains. Saturday afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m.  you can enjoy free live music from local bands in the climate-controlled Mediterranean pavilion on site. You can call ahead at 817-481-9463.


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Weekly Intentions: January 8

I rocked last week's intentions hardcore by accomplishing every single item I listed. Booyah! I really think I should rename these lists to "A weekly 7 things to a more productive and creative person." So here is my list for this week:

• Start querying one of my current non-fiction projects :)
• Research redesign ideas for my blog template. (inspiration)
• Find an 80's wedding dress to refashion into a cute dress for our cruise. (inspiration)

• Get started on those chandeliers I want to make. (inspiration)

• Spend $25 or less on groceries.
• Work on the invitations for my Hot Cocoa Party. (inspiration)

• Make a case for my e-reader. (inspiration)

The Best Cake Ever

Now I am sorry there are no pictures of this cake because we totally devoured it but it is seriously the most amazing tasting cake I have ever made. Rich and Creamy! And super easy!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Yellow Cake Mix

1/4 C Butter (melted)

1-1/2 C Vanilla Yogurt

2 Eggs

1 Tbs Vanilla (I use the good dark Mexican pure vanilla)

Rich & Creamy Milk Chocolate Fristing from the tub

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix the first 5 ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour into a greased pan.

4. Bake for 30 mins or until a tooth pick comes out clean when poked in the center.

5. Let cool.

6. Frost and enjoy!

365 Outtake 1.6.12

I am quite proud of myself that I have kept this project up all week. Todays photo is a totally out of place castle we came across in service today.

Seriously, 2012!

So the last 2 weeks have been pretty rough for us...
First we were robbed on the 24th.
Then we got a flat tire in my parent's car on the 28th and the spare was flat too so we had to wait for assistance from AAA.
The irony was almost too much when exactly one week later on the 4th when we got a flat too! And I didn't have a 4-way with me so we also had to wait for assistance.
But the real cherry was what happened today....

Home Palette Thursdays

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365 Outtake 01.03.12

Day 1 of Meals for a Year was a success! I made the Vegetable Wraps with a twist. They spelt and tasted so yummy! We made them non-vegetarian friendly by serving them with lunch meat. Plus we topped them with mozzarella cheese and spicy ranch dressing. Muy Delicioso :)

Corgi Tuesdays

“I’m curious about the whereabouts of my breakfast.”

365 Outtake 1.2.12

My precious Coco Puff. I can't believe she is almost 12 now!

Luke's nunchuck sausage at Smitty's Market in Lockhart, TX. Yummiest BBQ ever! nom nom nom!!!

Seeing Dallas on the Cheap {Landon Winery}

So here is a great place a little out of Dallas. With 2 locations (McKinney & Greenville) Landon Winery is offers yummy food while specializing in local Texas wine. And to top it off they have a great taste-testing deal of 5 glasses of wine for $5. Don't forget their delicious bruschetta and you have a wonderful cheap date night! :)

365 Outtake 1.1.12

Family game night and Luke's first time of ever playing Life... This was insane to my family because we played it all the time when I was growing up. Mom ended up winning and I had 5 kids O_O

Twenty Eleven in Review

I can't be another year has gone by! In the same fashion as last year I want to review my year via blog posts...

January

• I continued menu planning into the new year.
• I was super excited for Sarah Dessen's next book.
• I watched the Flipped movie with a friend and loved it!
• I discovered what a Teacup Yorkie was.

February

• I shared my color picks for summer and fall weddings for 2011.
• I analyzed the differences between being a hipster and alternative.

March

• I started a mini-series sharing my favorite internet tools and sites.
• I launched my new blog template.
• I made a list of the books I want to read before turning 22. And I only have a couple left to finish :)
• I also shared some delicious cookie recipes.
• I found some serious craft room inspiration via Pinterest.

April

• I joined Dishing for Dana.
• And updated my online portfolios.
• I finished our wedding album and started our living growing family scrapbook.

May

• I finished our wedding video which I love and still need to burn on DVD.
• I did a whirlwind life recap in a brief post that included our move to Greenville.

June

• I was able to scratch off one of my 30 before 30 items.
• And reblogged about my great-grandparents.

July

• I finally cleaned out my closet.
• And decided to change our bedding.

August

• I fell in love with a illustrated Beatles music video.
• Luke quit his job to join me in full-time service.
• I participated in the Pinterest Challenge.
• I shared my mom's and my reupholstery project.
• I made fauxboutins!
• I started sharing my monthly intentions and reflections.
• My friend Jessica shared her experience with the Montessori child bed.
• I designed Feeding the Soil's new blog header.
• We went on our first wine tasting.

September

• Luke joined me in regular pioneering.
• I started Corgi Tuesdays in honor of my childhood dog, Coco.
• My aunt Syn and I made Luke a Nudie jacket.
• I started Home Palette Thursdays.

October

• I made a Volume twenty-five inspired poster.
• I stumbled across a little girl that is what we think our daughter will look like.

November

• I made another Chronicle Books wish list.
• I shared some of my favorite things.
• I analyzed my views on changing your last name.

December

• I opened up about my anxiety with a 2nd.MD specialist.
• I also opened up about losing my blog voice and feeling bleh about life.
• We were robbed on Christmas Eve.

So that was my year! I definitely want to share more personal and creative posts this year. And we are seriously hoping to travel more too! :)

Weekly Intentions: January 1

Since I haven't done a totally great job of fulfilling my intentions each month, I have decided to try something new with 2012. Instead of having a monthly list, I want to create weekly to do lists with both practical and creative intentions each week. So here's what I want to start with for the new year...