Five on Friday {10/2/15}

Hey, Friends! I have the cutest little fall craft to show you, but it's been dark and rainy for days (and days and days) here in NC. No sun = horrible pictures. Boo. So, I'll be back to show it to you next week once I'm able to grab some pictures.

In the meantime, here's five things on my mind today:

1.) I got to meet John and Sherry!!! And, I got to meet them with my bestie, Amy!!! It was so fun to hear them talk and get to chat with them for a minute! I love their new book, Lovable Livable Home! It perfectly describes where my heart is in this world of home decorating and DIY. Beautiful, functional, and lived in! Grab a copy and if John & Sherry are coming to your area, grab your bestie and go see them!

2.) Have you been keeping up with the #Homeforthefallidays Instagram game a group of bloggers and I have going right now? There's tons of inspiration every week! Check it out and follow me on Instagram to stay up to date and participate in the game!

3.) Is this not the cutest fall sign from Lilacs & Longhorns?!

Please pin from original source

4.) Have you been keeping up with Chris Loves Julia's kitchen remodel? It's spectacular! I love all the natural light, the open shelving, the mix of lights and darks, and that gorgeous island!

Please pin from original source

5.) I haven't forgotten about painting my front door! Thank you so much for taking time to vote and weigh in on which door color you thought I should choose! I just need to narrow it down to an exact shade, then I'll be on a roll. Ha, see what I did there? ;) More to come on that soon! 

Happy Weekend!

Weekend Update

Five random things swirling around inside my head lately!

1.) The pollen cloud has descended on NC! Everything is yellow! I was using my phone to take pictures of the kids outside and in that short time, my phone got a good pollen coating. Insane! But, pollen season also means tulip season. This is our third year growing tulips and I'm in love! 

2.) I scored this wreath for 50% off at Target earlier this week! Then, when I was at Target with my friend Amy, she told me she had bought the exact same one for 70% off. No way! #decoratingtwins :) There was one left, so I scooped it up and will return the 50% off one. Thanks, Amy! I LOVE how it goes with my coral door! I know Easter is over, but I had to try it out for a few days before packing it away.

3.) Sometimes home projects are necessary, but not so glamorous. Like water heaters. Ours was on its way out, so we had it replaced this week. I can finally take a shower without running out of hot water! Yay! 

4.) I was driving through a shopping center yesterday and stumbled on a Starbucks with a drive-thru that I had NO IDEA was there. It is up a big hill behind tons of trees and not visible from the road. And it did not show up on Google Maps when we moved here. But still, how in the world did I miss this?!?! I love Starbucks. Sigh. 

5.) I have been finding such great deals online lately! I got $25 off a $50 order at Crazy 8, 50% off everything at Carter's, and $5 off, free shipping, and a free set of cleaners from ePantry! (Click here for my referral link for ePantry and go here for info about the free set of cleaners--free cleaners deal ends tomorrow.) Super excited! Have you found any good online deals recently?

Happy Weekend!

Five on Friday

1.) We've been snowed in again this week. I'm itching to get out of the house! But, I'm thankful we had a good snow for the kids to play in. Plus, doesn't our crepe myrtle look really cool?

2.) Picky Palate's recipe for Cheesy Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is amazing! To make it faster (you know, since I have children tugging at me while I'm cooking), I use rotisserie chicken, some pre-chopped veggies, and 90 second rice pouches. Yum!

Image Source: Picky Palate

3.) The whole white and gold dress debate is out of control. Just sayin'. The picture screams, "Adjust my white balance!" to me. There's no way I see black and blue.

4.) I decided that since I'm done with my dining room gallery wall, I might as well start a new gallery wall on another wall in my house. It's a sickness, I tell ya. I posted a sneak peek over on my Instagram.

5.) Did you notice I added social media buttons on the upper right? You can now find me easier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Happy Weekend!

Five on Friday

Five things I'm loving from this week:

1.) This article. Yes! 

2.) Jen over at I Heart Organizing is renovating her kitchen and the progress is FABULOUS! The ceiling beams and planking?! Be still my heart! Here's her latest progress post.

Image Credit: I Heart Organizing    Please pin from original source, not here.

3.) Do you watch The Bachelor? I haven't caught a season in a while, but I most definitely keep up with it via Sheaffer at Pinterest Told Me To. Her recaps are hysterical! Here's the latest recap. You're welcome. Ha! Sheaffer has fabulous style, too! I love all of her clothing ideas!

This screen shot Sheaffer captured kills me! 

4.) Snow Days--This should really be a love/hate thing. I love the snow and the kids have really enjoyed it. But, after a couple days at home, this mama is majorly stir crazy! I see a trip to Target and Krispy Kreme in the very near future. ;)

5.) This video pretty much sums up our current phase of life right now. Hahaha! But, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade it for the world! It's killing me how fast my kids are growing. Didn't I just bring Little Girlie home from the hospital yesterday?! But, if you ever stop by unannounced and my house looks like a tornado went through, this video sums up the reason why. Ha!

Happy Weekend, Everyone!

Five on Friday

Time for Five on Friday! 

1. Dropping stuff stinks- It's been really quiet around this blog. Dropping and breaking BOTH my phone and my computer within 5 minutes of each other might have something to do with it.  Seriously! That was not a good day. Thankfully,  my replacement phone came in, but we are still waiting on the computer we ordered to arrive. Thanks for your patience, everyone! In the meantime,  we are getting estimates on the yard project and I'm cooking up a mini bathroom makeover!  Stay tuned! 

2. Prayers answered- My best friend's sweet (and ridiculously cute) little newborn had to have major surgery this week. I've been dreading it for weeks.  God was faithful! The surgery went well and he is smiling and doing well! Please continue to pray for their family as he heals and they care for him at home!

3. Archer Farms Dulce de Leche Latte K Cups- So good!  Try them! 

4. Wrightsville Beach- We made our yearly trek to the beach last weekend.  We always enjoy Wrightsville Beach, NC.  Ample parking,  nice sand,  not over crowded,  and not too far from the aquarium at Kure Beach. I wouldn't call myself a beach bum or anything (even though I did grow up in South Florida) but I love the beach.  It is so relaxing.  When I'm there,  all I want to do is sit in the water letting the waves wash over my feet and just breathe.  No technology,  no cleaning,  no stressing, no whining,  no schedules... just be.

5. New Gatorade commercials- have you seen the new commercial series Gatorade has with Cam Newton and Peyton Manning? Hilarious!  This one is my favorite.  The only thing that would make it better is if you replaced Cam Newton with Tom Brady.  Duh. ;) 

Happy weekend, everyone!

Image credits: Target and Wikipedia

Five on Friday

Here's my Five on Friday!

1. This Rug- Of course, just a couple days after blogging about our finished entryway, I found a rug to finish, finish the entryway. Love it! I couldn't find it online, but it's from Target.

2. Dance Parties- Back when Jeremy and I were dating, he would sing me country songs to try to persuade my hip hop loving heart to like country music. One of the frequent songs he'd sing was Diamond Rio's Meet in the Middle. Now, one of our favorite family things to do is to turn that song up really loud, sing it at the top of our lungs, and dance around the living room with the kids. They think it's hysterical! And our neighbors probably think we're crazy. :) 

3. School Supplies- I just can't stay out of the school supply aisle. The smell of paints and crayons just draws me in and I want to buy it all. As a kid, I loved getting school supplies and would pack, unpack, and repack my backpack a thousand times before school started just so I could look at all the fun supplies. My mom used to have to take them away so I would stay out of them before school started. Then, as a teacher, oh my goodness...the first day of school with eager kids ready to learn and fresh supplies?! Be still my school loving heart. :) Wow, that turned into a bunny trail real quick, huh? 

4. Arizona Green Tea- In a can. Not a bottle. A can. LOVE these! When I was teaching, I drank one a day. But, I got out of that when we moved to NC. I've recently rediscovered them and treat myself to a cold one every week when I go grocery shopping. 

5. This Blanket- Oh my word, this blanket is SO soft! I bought a twin size one for our living room and it is the best blanket ever! It is lightweight, yet warm and the color goes great with our furniture. I also love that it is big enough to cover my entire body, unlike a throw size blanket that is too short to cover your feet. Poor, cold toes. 

Happy weekend, everyone!

Five on Friday

Five things I'm loving lately!

1. My Thoughtful Hubby- Last night, Jeremy randomly hugged me and told me thanks for making our house so homey. I asked him what he meant and he said he noticed the books and succulent on the drum stool and could tell I had spent time figuring out how to arrange it and make it look nice. It was so thoughtful and makes all the effort put into our home worth it. I love that man! He just gets me. :)

2. Park & Rec- I know, I know...we're way behind on that boat. But, in our defense, we tried to watch it a while ago, but Season 1 is not the best. We recently tried it out again and once we hit Season 2, we were hooked. We haven't found a show since The Office that makes us laugh this hard!

Image Credit: NBC.com

3. Summer Time- I hate the heat, but I love being able to get outside! We've been enjoying gardening, running in the sprinklers, frequenting the park, family walks, and just relaxing on the front porch.

4. Mad Love Lianne Flip Flops- I got them for 50% off yesterday at Target and they are amazing! They are very lightweight and cushy! Gotta have a comfy pair of flip flops for the summer!

Image Credit: Target

5. BBQ Chopped Salad- I know this is totally random! I've started seeing chopped salad kits popping up at the grocery store lately. I love the BBQ kit! I'm not a huge salad eater, but I actually crave this one!

Image Credit: Dole.com

Happy Weekend!

Five on Friday

Five random thoughts of the day!

1. I'm tired of buying new pumpkins every year just to have them rot, so have been on the lookout for some nice, fake pumpkins on sale. I found these 50% off at Michael's! The blue one is my favorite. All of the blue ones had imperfections on them from being outside, so I asked if they gave a damaged discount, hoping they'd do 10% off or something. The cashier said "Sure!" and took an additional 50% off! I only paid $3 for it and it was originally $15! I was super excited!

2. We've been busy cleaning out the closet in Little Girl's room to make room for her stuff. There are six space bags of Little One's outgrown clothes and guest room bedding waiting to be vacuumed and put into the attic and we still need two more space bags to finish up. Crazy town! But, her closet is emptied out and holding only her stuff in it now! And, I organized all of her clothes by size in clear tubs. Still have a way to go in her room, but hey, it's progress!

Don't you think her closet is screaming for some pink paint and maybe a fun stenciled pattern?! Now to muster up the energy for that... Ha!

3. The ever-popular 2 ingredient pumpkin muffins (1 can pumpkin + one box cake mix, baked at 350 for 20-25 mins--yields 12) continue to be a favorite around our house! I've had them with spice cake, yellow cake, and chocolate cake mix and keep going back to the yellow cake mix version. Of course, we add a third ingredient--chocolate chips! So fast and easy and yummy! Oh and side note, my friend Amy makes these, too, and hers are fluffier than mine. Turns out, she uses the electric mixer to beat the batter instead of stirring with a spoon. Who knew? Thanks for the tip (and the craving for these today!), Amy!

4. My hubby thinks I've gone crazy buying bows for Little Girl. But, seriously, girls need bows! I'm learning all about dressing little girls, and let me tell you, they come with a lot of accessories. Tights...leggings...bows... so much to think about! And just for the record, I've only bought 3 bows! So far... ;) Totally crushing on this bow right now. But, I've been temporarily banned from buying bows. Hahaha! I'll do a post later about my favorite bow shops!

5. We bought this for Little Girl's room and I can't wait for it to get here. I love it SO much! I've been crushing on Katie Daisy's art work for a while now and am excited to have a piece of it in our home!

Happy weekend!

Five on Friday

Time for another Five on Friday post!

1) Today is cleaning day in the nursery. It is covered in sawdust and the even more annoying sanding dust. Tonight, we are going to tackle moving the million tools out of the room, wiping down all the walls, and cleaning the floors up. We will start painting tomorrow and don't want dust sticking to the fresh paint!

2) I found this pumpkin spice cream cheese at the store the other day and LOVE it! So yummy!

Photo Credit- Naplesnews.com

3) I hosted a Favorite Things party last year (SO fun--already planning this year's party!) and my friend Cathi brought Apricot Scrub as her favorite thing. I had totally forgotten about Apricot Scrub! I've been using it every other day and it has done wonders for my skin! Bye bye blackheads! Bonus points for it costing only $3.79 unlike most other scrubs which start at $7! 

4) I have naturally curly, frizzy hair. Of course, I hate it (Who actually likes their own hair? Haha!) and straighten it with a flat iron. My hair doesn't really appreciate the heat damage and needs lots of extra moisturizer. My friend Amy and I were in Target this week and she told me about Aussie's Three Minute Miracle. She has fabulous hair, so I figured that at only $2.99, I'd give it a try. I love it!!! My hair is much softer, more manageable, and less frizzy after using it only one time! 

5) I finally finished my Fall fireplace mantle! Now if only the rain would clear up so I could get enough light in here to take pictures... Hopefully, I will post about it on Monday! 

Have a great weekend! 

Five on Friday

Five Friday randoms for you!

1) Remember how I found those adorable canisters at Target on clearance? I went back and bought the large one, too. I LOVE them!

2) After years of dealing with a broken TV antenna (We started out getting 5-6 channels and now only get 3. We've been being cheap and just dealing with it.), we are finally buying a new one this weekend! Know why? FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't miss an entire football season because we don't have cable and our antenna doesn't even get NBC, now can we? Oh, and another perk? Ellen! Holla!

 

3) We are about 1/4 of the way through caulking and filling nail holes in the nursery after our board and batten project. It's going extremely slow! I'm loving how it's all turning out, though!

4) I had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season this week! That put me in the mood for some candy corn and going through my fall decorations. Now just bring on the cool weather!

5) I found two of these frames on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond for $4.28 each marked down from $20 each! They are having some great clearance right now!