Putting this thing to use!

As you all probably know by now, we scored ourselves a new dishwasher a few weeks ago. No, by dishwasher I don't mean me...

We've put it to good use these past few weeks and even Motley approves! (though she looks a little wary here)

It does a really good job and seems so high tech compared to our old plastic dishwasher. Plus, it makes the kitchen look pretty, too! See...?

I'm wishing SO BADLY we could win the lottery, even just a small amount, so we could re-do the floors. Yellow alert! Oh well, we will live with them for now.

Next up, I need to finish our coffee station! Good thing I got the Ikea catalog in the mail the other day...

:)

We are almost to Friday! Hang in there!

Pretty things for sale!

I have a public announcement to share! I have a listing on the Dallas craigslist for a really pretty pearl necklace. They were a gift that unfortunately weren't the right fit, so I'm parting with them. They have never been worn and I have the original receipt and everything! I think I'm offering a pretty awesome deal, so please check it out and share with anyone you know that might be interested. Or, just treat yourself! :) Thanks!

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/jwl/4595655790.html

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/jwl/4595655790.html

Girl's trip is in the books!

The girls and I are finally getting together for a proper girls trip. We (quickly) made plans to head down south to Fredericksburg, Texas for a relaxing weekend in late August. Never heard of Fredericksburg? Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in!

Much like Palestine, Fredericksburg is a small town in Texas packed with personality. Though even smaller than Palestine at around 11,000 occupants, Fredericksburg has hit the tourism jackpot. It’s an old German town that is not only known as the peach capitol of Texas, but it also boasts herb farms, lavender fields, and tons of wineries! Thousands of visitors flock there every year for festivals, wine trips, German fare, and antiquing. 

Fredericksburg is over 4 hours from Dallas on small windy back roads, but I’m almost as excited for the drive as I am for the weekend events! It is truly in the hill country of Texas and the rolling hills and country roads are calling my name. I can’t wait!

Here are just a few pictures hinting at what might be in store for us:

This trip can't come soon enough! Be sure to check back for a recap! :)

Staying organized

We don't have the budget to do big house updates every month like our big kitchen remodel, but I'm always working on something over here! Most recently, I finally dug out some hooks that the previous owners left and put them to use hanging my scarves:

I previously had them in two different baskets but I was constantly making a mess digging through them in the morning trying to find a particular one.

I put them behind the door in our bedroom, which is almost always open, so they are out of sight but still organized.

I have a LOT of scarves. 

...And when the door is closed, they add some fun color and texture to the room. It's a win-win!

Master bathroom update

I've gotten a little further on my bathroom (located within our Master bedroom) and since it doesn't get much love here on the blog, I thought it's time to share my progress!

This was the tiny picture we had to go on when we bought the house:

One of the first things I did when we moved in was tearing out that vanity mirror. The bathroom is already TINY and the mirror made it feel even smaller since it was deep to accommodate storage. 

I already had this Ikea mirror that fit really well and makes the bathroom seem bigger, I think. I still haven't figured out a solution to the lights. They are super strong and make the room get really hot. Plus, the back plate is gold. I don't really like many options out there though, so I'm open to suggestions!

Here's my view from our room. Notice anything?

Yep, the ceiling is pink. I wanted to do something funky yet keep this room nice and bright and open, so I opted to girl-ify it with a light pink ceiling. It's super light and you can hardly tell in person, but its fun and crisps up the room a little. This is MY bathroom, and I think the pink discourages Mark from using it sometimes. :)

Everything else is pretty much the same. I picked up a fun floral towel at Target for even more of a girly touch and I hung a flower print above the towels. 

Mark gave me the clock above as an anniversary gift (1st year is clocks) and I love having it there for time checks in the morning as I'm rushing out the door. 

The only thing (other than the vanity) that bugs me in here is the ugly tile. I've thought about painting it but haven't found enough inspiration photos to give me the confidence, plus it would put me in the same resale dilemma as this issue did, when the time comes to sell our house.

So that's my bathroom in a nutshell! It's about the same size as one, anyway! 

Happy Monday!

Home sweet home

I can't even believe it, but it's our 1 year house-iversary!! 

I realize more and more how much I love this little house of ours. It's not fancy or extravagant and it's definitely not perfect. Our neighborhood/street lacks a lot and there is a TON of work still to be done on the house. I still think we got really lucky and I'm super tied to this sweet place we call home.

If you want a recap, check out these posts:

-when we bought our house

-when we closed on our house

-when we moved into our house

:) 

Happy Thursday everyone!

Weekend update

We had a nice low-key weekend, just like I like! 

Friday night I worked on a floral camera strap. Can't wait to see how it turns out! :)

I've been making a point to get up relatively early on Saturdays and Sundays because I'm slowly learning how much you can get done in the morning, so I was up by 7:30 both days this weekend! I used the time (and the nice weather) to go on a walk around our neighborhood. My Saturday walk was actually 3 miles because I turned on the location tracker .28 miles into my walk, and so it didn't count that distance. Mark joined me on Sunday morning before church but he didn't want to walk very far because the sprinklers were running back at our house...

I did come across this bus that is parked a few streets away from us. Classy, but ironic?

We came across this street sign and it reminded me of my friend Heather so I snapped a pic and sent it to her. ;)

I also did some errands and returned things on Saturday and happened to pop into the ALDO outlet at the right time and scored this bag for under $40. I've been looking for a new purse and I like the neutrals of this bag so I can carry it in all seasons!

Motley was exhausted running from the vacuum all morning so she claimed her spot as soon as the bed was made. #spoiled

I scored this necklace on super sale at J. Crew so I wore it to dinner to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday on Saturday.

I really want a new front door, so I finally started googling around trying to find the style I like. I want it to be half glass since our living room faces north and doesn't get much light. 

I'm thinking similar to these images below:

I hope you all had a great weekend too! Only 4 days until the next one!