January 30, 2014

Photo An Hour Link Up

As I have been slowly getting back into the swing of all things blogging, I have been looking for some fun linkups to participate in so that I can meet new bloggers and reconnect with old blogfriends. I was so excited hearing that Steph and Meg were launching a "Photo An Hour" linkup, so I decided to recap this past Tuesday... one of our "Snowpocalypse" days.



7:30am: Morning cuddles with Huxley, believe it or not he is ALWAYS the last one out of bed.
8:30am: Email from the boss saying "come in when you can" so I light a fire, make coffee, and watch fresh prince. I love ice days!
9:30am: Snoozing with Huxley on the couch by the fire. Still in PJs. Working-ish from home for the morning. Still too icey to get out on the roads.
11:30am: Attempting to make it to work alive. No really. Look at all that ice on my house!
12:30pm: Made it to work in one piece. This is my usual morning ritual. Check emails, drink iced coffee, and eat a banana.
1:30pm: Since Jan 1, been trying to get into the habit of drinking way more water. I got myself a bubba keg that holds 64oz and it really helps! I haven't been able to finish it in a day, but getting closer!
2:30pm: Because everyone takes selfies in the work bathroom, right? Wearing my cute scarf Helen got me for Christmas from Tarjay. So warm and pretty!
3:30pm: Checking up on the blogpost I wrote earlier in the day about Surviving the Austin Snowpocalypse.
4:30pm: Looking at all the hilarious posts on FB of all the people making fun of Austin because one drop of ice and the whole city shuts down. Hey I wasn't complaining, I had a 4 hour workday.
5:30pm: Gym time at Suzy's Apt. Leg day after 30 minutes cardio. We did this workout for legs and I am still so sore today.
6:30pm: Wine at Suzy's, perfect for post workout. ;-) Just waiting for our show to come on.
7:30pm: Enjoying our guilty pleasure, Pretty Little Liars. I am so addicted to this show, anyone else?
8:30pm: Dinner at home. Scottie made us blackened tilapia with black beans topped with Avocado. DELISH.
9:30pm: Watching TV with Huxley and Scottie, my favorite part of my nights. Love my boys.
10:00pm: Ridiculous re-runs. I like this show WAY better than Tosh.O. I think the videos are much funnier, too.
10:30pm: In bed, of course Huxley sleeps like a human in between us, under covers, head on pillow even sometimes. Usually sprawled out by middle of the night. Spoiled rotten brat! We are usually in bed/passed out by 10:30-11:00pm most nights.

My life isn't all that exciting, but the best part about lately is that I've gotten into a great routine of eating healthier, drinking more water, and working out 3-5 times a week. Let's hope it does something by this summer!!

I love this linkup because if you're like me, I love knowing what's going on in other peoples lives and it is a great way to connect and find people that you have things in common with! Here is the link again for the Photo An Hour LinkUp  and I encourage you to check out and see what other people have written about!

Have a great Thursday, friends!

January 29, 2014

Meeting Rylee

In December, I had planned a surprise baby sprinkle for Scott's sister, Helen, who was due with her second baby girl, Rylee, but the doctor had moved the date up for delivery and they weren't able to make it to Austin for the sprinkle. Of course we were a little bummed, but thrilled to know that our little niece would be here sooner than later. On the 27th, she was born.

December 27, 2013

This past weekend was a special weekend for us. At 4 weeks old, Rylee took her first big trip to Austin, Texas to see her Aunt Minnie, what Raelyn calls me, and Uncle Bubba (Scott). We were so very excited.

We got the house pristine and cleaned up (no more boa feathers), and I set up some of the decor that we had for the baby sprinkle and voila - now we had a "Welcome Baby" type thing going on.


I am not a crafter, but I had so much fun making the diaper wreath and the chicken wire frame for bows and pictures. I ordered the garland from OrangeGoRound, and they were so perfect, Helen loved them. They were shorter than I had thought so those are actually four garlands, two tied together. I was able to also send them with Helen for decor for the nursery. I highly recommend this shop - they were quick shipping, budget friendly, and Ann Marie who runs the shop is super responsive and sweet. The Welcome Baby card was a great find ordered from jane.com (is anyone else as addicted as I am to this shop?)

Scott wrote the sweetest letter to Rylee that she will be able to read and cherish when she is older. He is such a good Uncle!


Meeting Rylee was so fun. She is just the tiniest thing, and looks just like her mama. She slept most of the time, but even when she cried it was so quiet and sweet. Raelyn also has gotten so big and is talking so much. Seriously one of the smartest two year olds. She sings, she can count to eleven, yes eleven, in English AND in Spanish (thanks Dora the Explorer!).


We spent the weekend mostly at the house just chatting and loving on the babies, it was so relaxed and fun. We got out on Saturday to go to the Austin Aquarium, has anyone been? We were not too terribly pleased with how much it was built up but how little there was to see. Probably only would go there again for a child's birthday party or something. Next time we will probably just do Sea World. I want to see some penguins and pet the dolphins! We ate at Red's Porch on South Lamar before going. It was so good!

On our way to Aquarium! 
At Red's Porch
Hi Five's for Uncle Bubba
Petting little Sharks at the Aquarium
Playing with the Birds at the Aquarium

We also attempted to take some pictures of the girls, which is pretty hard to do with a two year old! Raelyn was not having it, so we got a few candid shots and they were just oh so cute! Also, the pictures of Rylee, I just love her. I am definitely no photographer, but I love shooting with my Canon T3i. I have a 50mm 1.4 lens that I got for my birthday this past December, and am still learning how to use it.






That face, though. She is so cute. If you can't tell already, we have decked them out in Austin attire! Gotta remember their crazy Aunt and Uncle from the Weird City!! We also had Big Sister, Little Sister shirts made from BInduldged Boutique, a fun little Etsy shop and they. were. so. precious. Also ordered them a little bigger than actual baby size so the girls will have a little time to grow and wear them in the future. I mean... how cute are these!?!


Cuddles with Aunt Minnie watching movies.
Huxley was laying on me like a baby and just snoring away haha.


We even got a great family photo. Helen, Jonas, Raelyn, and Rylee. So sweet!


It was a wonderful weekend and I am so blessed to be a part of  this family. Rylee is just the sweetest thing and we can't wait to watch her grow up with her big sister, Raelyn.

Lastly, you have to watch this video. Uncle Bubba and Raelyn playing with Huxley. This went on all night and it was just the funniest and cutest thing I've ever seen. Enjoy!

January 27, 2014

Three Day Juice Cleanse

A few weeks ago to kick start this journey of being fit (as everyone's New Years Resolution seems to be), two girlfriends and I decided to do a three day juice cleanse to get rid of all of the toxins and bad eating over the holiday season. It was a scary thought, as I love food in a serious way, but after researching and knowing that this will be a great way to get my mind right and start eating healthier, I decided to go for it.


We felt the best time to do this was over the weekend with a lapse on Monday, so Sat/Sun/Mon. This would allow for activities to keep focus off of eating. We went to HEB bright and early Saturday morning and hit up the produce section. Pretty sure people thought we were insane with two grocery baskets filled with produce. The costs of a juice cleanse like this is about $50/person. Now, this also included the fish and frozen green beans, the three big pitchers that could hold 64oz. juice, the water bottles (with lines for measure!), and a pack of waters. We split all the costs three ways. I have to say, it really helps doing this with a friend - someone to hold you accountable, and someone to share your "hanger" in those hard moments.

We got back to the house and started juicing it up. It was so tedious but fun making juice. You have to peel, chop, take out cores from apples, prep prep prep! It was a lot of work, thank goodness there were three people so it went by quick.

So, here is the breakdown. 

72 Hour Detox
(These daily recipes are based on 64oz. juice per person)

Day 1: Liver & Kidney Detox 
6 apples (remove core and seeds)
10 small cut pieces of beets
1 bunch of celery
1 cucumber (peeled)
1 lemon (peeled)
2 tomatoes
around 15 carrots (juice last)

Day 2: Mean Green
4 apples (remove core and seeds)
2-3 cucumbers (peeled)
1 bunch kale (takes a lot to make juice, chop up a little)
2 large handfuls spinach
1 bunch celery
1 tsp ginger

Day 3: Super Digestive Detox
10 small cut pieces of beets
1 bunch celery
1 cucumber
1 tsp ginger
2 lemons
3 oranges
large handful spinach
around 15 carrots (juice last)

Tips: 
1) Clean up after beets - they stain QUICKLY. Also, wash all fruit/veggies before juicing and clean juicer right after finishing (you may have to dump pulp a few times during).
2) Carrots definitely produce so much pulp so empty juicer pulp out frequently.
3) Use three pitchers that hold 64 oz. Stick to one juice for all day. Buy water bottles with OZ. on the bottle. Makes it so much easier. 64oz = .5 gallon. You drink 8 oz. per hour for 8 hours.
4) DRINK WATER ALL DAY LONG. Also, hot herbal (detox) tea is recommended at night. No coffee, soda, milk, etc. No drinking, smoking, diet pills, etc. ONLY water, herbal tea, and juice.
5) Eat a small dinner after your 8 hours of 64 oz. is done. Example: We ate tilapia with green beans all three nights. If you get too hungry during the day, make a few hard boiled eggs and allow 1 for those "hangry" times.



This juice cleanse is not meant for losing weight, but you will usually drop anywhere from 3-6lbs during. Most of this is water weight, so when you begin eating again you will see some of that weight come back. This is really meant for detoxing your body and feeling healthier. It also really changed my way of thinking about foods and what I put in my body. It is much easier now to choose a salad or clean eats over fast food or junk food. 

Being Active
During juicing, you don't want to do any strenuous workouts or activities since your food intake is lowered. We stayed lightly active by walking the Barton Greenbelt the first day, walking around Town Lake the next day, and using the third day as a rest/stretching day. It felt really good to stay active and keep our minds off eating. By day 3 when we had to go to work, it really was not hard to keep up with the juicing at all. But boy let me tell you, we dreamed about dinner all three days. By the time dinner came, I ate so slowly savoring every last bite. 



I am so glad I tried this juicing cleanse. I made it all the way through and it has seriously jump started this healthy living thing. I have been working out at the gym 4-5 times a week, eating clean, feeling better, and it is an added bonus that I've lost a few pounds. More than losing weight, I really want this year to be about being healthier. Traveling, working out, being able to feel GOOD in a swimsuit, eating better. I even chopped a good six inches off my hair recently. Feels good!! I encourage you friends to try juicing sometime. Even if its one juice for breakfast or something. If you have any questions of course feel free to ask. I am not a juicing master or nutritionist by any means, but it was a fun thing to try and I'm glad I did it. 

Happy Monday friends! Make it a great week!!!

January 24, 2014

Surviving the Austin Snowpocalypse

As many of you may know, Austin has survived the Polar Vortex that struck last night. Woooo! Can't say that I wasn't terrified like a child this morning trying to back out of my driveway thinking my jeep was just going to slide right into the neighbors house across the street, but thankfully I did make it to work okay. Phew! ;-)

Today has been quite hilarious and I thought I might share some of the horror stories I've been seeing float around facebook throughout the day regarding how awful our experience with this "snowpocalypse" has been.




Just piles and piles of ice and snow...



This article about the 8 Horrifying Photos of the Austin Snowpocalypse 2014: Perfection. So funny!

Well this weekend is going to be a fun one! We have family coming in town and we are getting to meet baby Rylee (Scott's sister's newborn) for the first time!! We cannot wait to love on her and Raelyn and have our little Christmas one month late. Will be taking tons of pictures. (( #RyleeandRaelyn ))

For today's #backthatazzupfriday, we are jamming to  #TURNDOWNFORWHAT by Lil Jon cause if you know me, you know we always gettin #turntup on Friday night. Link up with Whitney from IWYP to get your weekend started right. Make it a great one friends!!


January 22, 2014

How to Throw a Kick Ass Gatsby Party

Since we moved in our house June of 2013, we hadn't officially thrown any kind of housewarming or hosted party. I've had girls nights, Naughty White Elephant Party (Which I'll be posting about soon), and a Welcome Baby get together for family, but nothing crazy.

Before Halloween came, Scott and I were thinking about throwing a Gatsby themed costume party... but after thinking about it... not many people would exclusively dress for the event given that it's Halloween and maybe they'd rather be something else. So we scratched it. But I had a genius idea... why not New Years!? Everyone will already be wearing nice dresses and suits, sequins and jewelry, what a perfect way to bring in the new year looking glam. So I got to planning. 

I wanted something that wouldn't be crazy expensive, but would be entertaining, fun, memorable... and somehow come New Year's Eve at 9pm, I had put together the perfect party. I could not have done it without my sister and girl friends who helped me get the party decor together and shopping vintage shops for the perfect headbands and outfits.

1. DECOR


What is a party without the perfect decor to theme it up. I HIGHLY recommend during parties to always have a backdrop of some sort for photo booth pictures whether you have props or not. I didn't go crazy with props because with the theme and with new years, everyone had 2014 masks, boas, party favors, and amazing outfits. I bought a door backdrop in gold and silver from Party City for $6 each. Done and done!


2. OUTFITS


One of my favorite memories of the party is how STUNNING everyone looked. Every girl was just dazzling with sequins, pearls, bling, headbands, curls, BEAUTY. Every man... holy moly. From the suspenders to the cigars to the hats... these guys were HOT! It made the party so much more fun to see everyone looking SO good. You can get suspenders from Party City for $8 and even a sequins bow-tie. 

And no, Matt is not that short. He literally couldn't stop dancing for the picture. 



3. THE PERFECT INVITE


This was so fun to create! We used the Gatsby Soundtrack most of the night for all the amazing jams. We were aiming for about 30-40 people for the evening, and really thought only about 12 were coming. We honestly didn't care we just wanted to bring in the New Year with our closest friends... well we were so wrong. We had about 35 people at our peak (around Midnight) with friends of friends, it was SUCH a great time. What else keeps it simple and inexpensive? BYOB. Sure, I bought way too many bottles of champagne and OJ, but let the guests bring beer and liquor. Sure does save a lot of money! I also made sure to let guests know to bring blankets and pillows for staying over... Which I am so glad I did because we had about 10 people stay the night and they all were able to sleep comfortably - even if we did go to bed at 5am.

It was fun to update the event keeping people super excited about coming and reminding them about weather conditions (since we played a lot of corn hole outside we wanted to make sure everyone brought jackets, scarves, etc.)

4. FOOD SPREAD


Let's be honest. Going to a New Year's Party with all that booze, beer pong, outdoor corn hole drinking games, inside Catch Phrase drinking games, all that dancing.... you gotta have food! Big bonus: get a friggin chick-fil-a platter of nuggets. Those were the first gone (duh!). Chips, Dips, Desserts, Veggie Tray. This was a huge hit and kept everyone in a not too over the top drunken state. 

Note to self: As delicious as they are, DON'T MAKE CAPRESE SKEWERS the night of the party!!!!! It was so tedious y'all. Here I was at 8:30pm yelling, "I still have to do my hair!" only halfway through the skewers. Not to mention it is super messy. Next year, I will stick to a buffalo dip or something. 

We also set up a side of the kitchen where there were lined up 30 Champagne flutes (dollar store, y'all - this only cost me $14 for all of them), a jar of straws, a shotglass of toothpicks, a bowl of olives, pepperocinis, etc. People could set up shop with their liquor bottles (which a lot left so many leftover = winning!) and it was great because it kept people from being crowded around certain areas and also - less glassware, less mess to clean up, no broken dishes - I highly recommend paper plate/ solo cup, everything trashable!

5. ENTERTAINMENT


I truly feel like we had the utmost PERFECT set up for the party in the house that kept it from being too crowded. We used the garage as a beer pong area with a few little lawn chairs and kept the coolers of beer in there. We used the kitchen and dining room for the bar/food. We used the living room for the dance party and music (spotify Gatsby Soundtrack was a HUGE hit... seriously listening to the music now brings back memories of this amazing party). We used outside and lit the backyard with leftover Christmas lights all the way around so it was all decked out. We had corn hole set up in the backyard and also a fire pit which was amazing due to the 40 degree whether. People were dancing in living room, chatting it up in kitchen, taking photo booth pictures (which was located to the left of dining room right next to the door to backyard). After midnight, we lit sparklers in the backyard too which was so fun! We had a huge cornhole drinking game tournament going on which lasted til a good 5am. 

6. NEIGHBORS

Always let your neighbors know that you will be hosting a party. Of course everyone gets that it is New Year's and all, but when you know your little house will have over 30 people and Bose speakers blasting dub-step, it is common courtesy to just let them know that they can call you or come over at any time to tell us we're too loud, etc. Luckily, we had no complaints and we even had neighbors come over to join the party with us. It was so fun! 

7. DON'T CLEAN UP JUST YET

I know you're probably thinking, whaaa? But I'm serious! We woke up at about 1:00pm and all sat around on our couches with everyone who was still there and just laughed and talked about the night before and all the funniest moments of the night. I literally have never smelt so much beer/liquor and saw so many solo cups all over the kitchen, boa feathers on the floor (EVERYWHERE), sticky spots, shotglasses for days, flapper tassels and fake eyelashes on my staircase. Don't clean up just yet! Relax, you just threw a kick ass party. Go eat a juicy burger. The clean up can come later. (Or in my case, wait til that next work day when your honey still has off and he cleans it up for you ;-) thanks babe.) We still find boa feathers all over the house. 

Any other tips that I am missing? All in all, it was one of the best parties I've ever thrown (or been to), and people still tell me they wish they could just relive that party.It didn't hurt my wallet, and we looked damn good.  It was so fun bringing in the new year with loved ones and great friends. I got to spend it with my sister and my best friends... and that's all that matters. 

Cheers to 2014! It's been great so far. 

January 20, 2014

I'm a Blogjerk

...for kind of coming and going as I please for the past year. Sometimes I have no idea how you bloggers do your every day life and then come back to blog about all of it! I rarely have the time to sit down and even think of a really good post. Sometimes I feel like I'm probably not meant to be a blogger, or maybe its too early for me, or maybe my life is just super boring haha. But then days like today I feel like I NEED to blog. I want a journal of my every day happenings, or at least every week! No I'm not married yet, no kiddos, not a big crafter here, and I definitely have a horrible sense of fashion (#true), but my life is FUN and I am always planning a party, girls night, or cooking up something fabulous- why should I not blog it? I still am just as much into commenting and interacting on social media as before, just haven't taken the time to sit down and write something.

So here's the deal. I'm going to try my best to recap some of the incredible events of 2013 that kept me from blogging, and I have so many pictures I've been wanting to plaster all over this blog. If I can do it for like 1-2 months consistently, I'm going to buy myself a new blog design cause let's face it - mine sucks right now. 

I have been thinking about renaming the blog too, or even having a co-blogger (who IS a Pinterest DIY queen) but I just don't know yet! So many ideas!

So for now, I want to apologize for being a blogjerk.... 2013 was one of the best years of my life, and I feel like it was because I was actually LIVING - traveling, planning parties, making new friends, growing friendships... 2014 is going to be about commitment! Committing to projects, such as this one. Hopefully you haven't all left me by now, because I have some great stories to tell! :) 

Happy Monday!