better late than never

I had every intention of participating and posting this when it should have been posted.  Yes, Valentines Day!  But I never got around to it!  I almost threw it in my virtual trash can, except that I thought, what the hey, this is my space and I'll do what I want, m'kay?

So let's pretend like it's still Valentine's Day, I mean I do still have some chocolate stragglers around the house.  This was too fun a linky not to participate. 

The Life of a Not so Ordinary Wife hosted this linky party, "How well does your spouse know you?" 
So I thought the hubbs deserved this challenge! 

How long have you been married?
Me | 5 1/2 years
Him | 5 years


Where was your first date?
Me |  Hunan House  A hole in the wall chinese restaurant in our college town.  He taught me how to eat crab legs. 

Him | Hunan

Where was your first kiss?
Me | Kelli's mom's house
Him | Summerfield Pool

Who first said, "I love you"?
Me | I am honestly not sure.  I want to say it was a mutual thing.  The night you asked me to be your girlfriend
Him | me

What were your wedding colors?
Me | gold, chocolate brown, fall colors
Him | chocolate and pink  {hmmm???}

What is her most commonly used phrase?
Me | Really?
Him | Really?

Who is her celebrity crush?
Me | hmm... Channing? Tony G?
Him | Team Jacob 

If she was ordering drinks for both of you what would you each get?
Me | Bud Light Bottles
Him | Bud Light Bottles

What is the best meal she has ever cooked you?
Me | Spinach stuffed chicken breasts
Him | all of them

What is the worst meal she has ever cooked you?
Me | I often cook frozen pizza and macaroni... I'll say that!
Him | nothing terrible. all is good

What is the most-played song on her iPod?
Me | probably something by Muse
Him | anything Muse

What would she say is your most annoying habit?
Me | Sneezing!  very loud!
Him | "my temper"

What is the last thing she does before she goes to bed?
Me | gets a drink and "doesn't take one drink!"
Him | brushes teeth

If you could throw out one item of her clothing what would it be?
Me |  I honestly have no idea!
Him | not sure

What would you say is your favorite thing about her?
Me | my hot bod and brilliant personality!  HA
Him | her compassion and her strong passion for her family

What's her go-to drink at Starbucks?
Me | pumpkin spice latte
Him | pumpkin spice latte

What's her blog's name?!
Me | Pocket Full of Lovelies
Him | Pocket Full of Lovelies


Not too bad there!  This made me smile!

Linking up here today!

snow day

It seems that since Presley was born that we have not had much snow.
and while I can appreciate that because I am not a huge lover of cold and slick roads.
a little snow now and then is fun.


Especially for a girl that loves frosty the snow man.
Her and daddy built a snow man, {well, daddy actually}
and Presley sang the whole time,
"Frosty the snow man, was a jolly, happy sore"
Hmmm... we need to work on that one!

Even shandy {our huge puppy} enjoyed the snow.
A first for her as well.

As for me, I played with my camera and had so much fun taking pictures with my family.

and now that we've had our fun in the snow, you can leave now winter.  Nothing personal, I just prefer summer.

a whole lotta christmas + a recap in photos

Another Christmas come and gone.  We definitely had plenty to celebrate.. and celebrate we did!

we partied and white elephant-ed

we baked and ate lots of yummies

we got sick with the flu and snuggled.. and watched plenty of Elf.

s

 we visited Santa and played

with cousins

we waited and anticipated Santa's arrival

 and opened plenty of presents

 spent lots of time with family

and even got a little present of our own made my the sweetest girl I know. 


and if you're stopping by from the mrs and the momma blog, welcome!  grab a seat and make yourself at home...

family pictures + what to wear post

If you've been around her for a while then you have probably heard me mention my fabulous photography friend molly from willow brandt photography
well lucky for me, I am able to have a friend that will photograph my family and let me do some pretty silly things that work about oh 50/50 I'd say. 

recently, my friend molly did Presley's 3 year photos as well as our family, and let me just say that I have the cutest dang daughter she has done it again and these photos melt.my.heart.

and yes, I have the cutest dang kid ever... Yes! biased!  So besides showing off my little family, I thought I'd share with you a guest post I did recently about what to wear for your family photos. 

and Yes, I still have a few Christmas DIY posts left as well.  I'll get back on that, k? forgive me!

could you not just eat her up.
she is adorbs!

melting!

daddy's girl

mommy's BFF

my little family...

 

 my dress // francesca's. cardi-target. boots-macy's. leapord belt-target

his sweater// oldnavy. button up-gap

her dress // pocket full of lovelies 

{yes, I made it}

watch for similar dresses very soon!

 

enough about what I wore,

let's talk about what you should!

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Today, I am here to talk to you cool cats about {what the heck to wear for your family pictures}
Why am I credible to talk on such a subject? Well, I am not really, but I like photography, and I like clothes and sometimes I get a vision..
call it what you will, but sometimes my mind thinks in photo shoots... {or blog posts, or tweets, ahh}
alrighty peeps, onto the topic at hand!

* inventory your house! what the hey does this have to do with getting your family dressed? well, it has a lot to do with it. I'll explain. why do we get pictures taken? because we want to display our beautiful selves all over our house, right? for other people to see when they come over and they can say, "dang, girl you look so good in that pictures" why, yes I do! thanks! so, look around, where are these pictures going to hang or sit? is your room formal? casual? what colors are in your room? take this into account when picking out outfits...
* another word of advice... research your photographer people! if you like sit-down-smile at the camera portraits, then pick a photographer that does those types of photos. if you like candid-maybe I am smiling, maybe I am laughing, maybe my butt crack is hanging out {no really, mine was in one of my pictures, no joke} then pick a photographer that has that style...
* the days of everyone looks the same in white shirts and khaki pants are long gone my friends... instead, try and pick out a few colors that everyone can incorporate in their outfit and coordinate not match... don't be afraid to mix unexpected colors and use accessories. COLOR is in folks! one of my {go to places} when I am trying to decide on Color is design seeds ... check it out.. you can search for palates and a pretty picture is included to help you if you are more visual like I am. you can search by palate, like autumn, summer, and so on! this is a good place to start... go there, like NOW! but come back and check out the rest of this post, m'kay?
* coordinating your outfits... this is huge. it's ok to mix patterns and colors, right? but don't put the same color and pattern on every person. pick outfits that encompass your
color palatte and then divi up those colors... if your scheme is mustard yellow and gray with pops of turquoise, put baby in yellow with a bold turqouise headband and yourself in a great gray dress with a pop of bright teal jewelry on your wrist and a mustard scarf and put dad in a plaid turquoise or shirt and dark gray wash jeans...
* scan your closets... pictures, as wonderful as they are, well, let's face it, can get pretty spendy by the time it's all said and done. well worth it, yes! look through your closets, do you think your husband looks hot in that shirt you bought him to wear to dinner last month, or maybe the baby looks darling in the new blazer you bought for grandma's birthday party {yes, they make blazers for the baby, too dang cute}. use that fave piece of clothing to help inspire the rest of your family look.
* use props... some of the time, your photog will have some for you to use, but if you are using these pictures for birthday invitations or for christmas cards and you want a specific look or feel, buy it and bring it, and communicate this to your photographer. check etsy or your favorite blogs for ideas... check your house, that special quilt that has been in the family for 100 years, bring it and sit on it {it washes} and you'll find your pictures not only look amazing but have a little bit of sentiment as well. believe me, photographers, {bless them} and their super cool editing skills, have a way of making aunt betty's ugly blanket look awesome in the photo... {I don't know how they do it, but they do}
* and last, we all do it, spend countless hours scanning pinterest. get inspiration from what other people have done. do me a favor and {wait for it} actually click on that super cool picture that you like and go to that blog or website and look around.. you may find more inspiration than you knew possible. seriously, if you like that one picture, chances are, you'll like the rest of what you will find after you click to the new page! try it, k?

well, take from it what you will. I hope someone draws some inspiration from this little post and has some crazy good family photos in the near future..

I have to get my roast out of the crock pot, and make my instant mashed potatoes before the hubbs gets home and figures out my secret! {I almost sounded domesticated, huh?} but seriously, the best choice garlic instant mashed potatoes are bomb!
you're welcome...

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thanks for listening lovelies
I'll be back soon!
xoxo

a little blog stalking + and a wishlist

I haven't had any time to post on my own blog because I have been too busy stalking reading thoroughly, the comments section to one of my fave's bloggity blog living in yellow | secret post.  If you haven't heard or read this blog or particularly this post... head on over.  BUT do so when you have some time on your hands.  It will take weeks a few hours and a lot of laughs, tears, angers... It's that real!

My own confession.. I am in love with Christmas. 
No, I wasn't always a Christmas lover... not until my precious bundle of joy showed up did it become such a special holiday to me...  I love to see her face on Christmas morning.   I love decorating my house, glee Christmas on Pandora, Christmas baking, outdoor lights... It really is the best time of the year. {besides the frigid cold temps. ugh!}

The other fun with Christmas is the shopping that ensues.  Yes, it's fun BUT it's also friggin expensive.  Every year, I promise myself that I AM NOT GOING TO SPEND THAT MUCH ON CHRISTMAS.  Because frankly, we just don't need the stuff.  We just celebrated a birthday for one, and the amount of items that my 3 years old receives from family is beyond impressive.  I still have toys from last year that haven't even made it out of the boxes..

So this year... I AM NOT SPENDING THAT MUCH ON CHRISTMAS.  I don't want a spoiled brat on my hands here ya'll. 

The hubbs and I rarely, ok maybe the first year we were married, exchange Christmas presents.  My husband is a tight a*@ doesn't like to spend money, which is a good thing because I love to spend money, so we balance each other out.  With that being said, I am ok with focusing our funds on our little because isn't that how it should be? 

But, in case anyone wants to know, I do have a secret little wishlist that if anyone was buying me presents, or if I had some extra moolah laying around I would buy myself a little som'n som'n. {and no that's not a hint to the hubbs}  As I was saying, I'm dying over this bag from better life bags.  I have been eyeing it for a while and one day, yes, one day she will be mine!  I'd take this little cutie too.  Yes!  And the fact that you get to customize your bag with her fabric choices and that it's handmade, and the whole story behind her shop.  I love!

I'm really digging leopard these days.  Like really... -------------------------------->>>>>
like this watch or these shoes.  Loving that leopard goes with practically anything and looks too dang cute!  I have a leopard scarf and I wear it like every.day. for reals.  speaking of clothes, perhaps I should quit drooling and do the mountain of dirty laundry I have laying around.  Yes, that is definitely what I should be doing.

Oh! and I have a semi-important announcement this week.. you won't want to miss.

and because what's a blog post without a random date night instagram photo?  here you go!  you're welcome.  and that would be said leopard scarf again.  Yes. every.day.  and my mountain man and his no shave November addition to his face {is it almost December yet?} 

 

Ok laters lovelies...

those silly things you do as a parent + a recipe

As a parent, I find myself doing and saying some things that I never thought possible.  Conversations and creativity that I never imagined.  One particular time of day that requires a lot of creativity is dinner time.  My little sweet-ums is a PICKY eater.  Very frustrating when all your 3 year old's menu consists of are ahem... chicken nuggets, pop-tarts, yogurt 50/50, and occasionally fruit-but her likes there are ever-changing and I can't seem to keep up.  I buy banana's for the week and all of a sudden she doesn't like banana's she wants grapes, I buy grapes for the next week, and it's "I don't like grapes, I wanted strawberries!"  Ahhh, makes me want to pull my hair out. 
 
Lately, I have been trying to encourage Presley to eat what we are eating because I get tired of making 2 meals.  One that Phillip and I eat, and one for the princess.  We have been trying to sit down as a family, at the dinner table, no cell phones, limited TV and just EAT.  In other words, no distractions because my 3 year old is easily distracted to say the least.
 
 Most of the time, Presley is less than excited to eat what we are eating BUT I have been encouraging her to at least try what we are having.  Usually, getting her to try the food is a battle so we developed a "cheer" system.  Which goes a little like this.

"Presley, if you take a bite of that lasagna noodle, I will cheer for you!"
and after she takes the bite, Phillip and I scream, shout, YAY!  YOU DID IT!  and that usually encourages a few more bites, but the reward has to get bigger. 

Dinner time these days, has turned into a full on cheerleading squad.  Now, she asks for it.  Bargains with us.  And we are the dummies that agree to it.

She will hold up her spoon with a bite on it and say, "Ill eat this, but you have to spin for me!" and when she does, we get up and cheer and do a spin and clap our hands.  She now prefers, "pom poms" when we cheer.  So, we hold up imaginary pom poms as she takes said bite.  I am sure our neighbors think we are nuts.  And well, we probably are for encouraging these behaviors but it gets her eating and that gets me happy.

This week, I tried a little something new in hopes to appease my pre-schooler.  Instead of the same old meatloaf, I put them into cupcake liners thinking Presley would think that they are the bomb dot com.  I have seen the idea floating around on pinterest and the world wide web {like that?} but never stopped to read one because, well I love my adapted over time meatloaf recipe and what's left besides putting them into cupcake liners.

so, Here's my take of meatloaf cupcakes.

I like to use ground turkey in my meatloaf, come to think of it, 9 times out of 10 I prefer ground turkey over beef in my recipe's.  I also, thanks to some late night conversations at work {thanks Annette} have started putting oats in my meatloaf, and honestly this is where the magic happens.  Makes it Awesome Sauce!  For reals! And then all the usual stuff, some onion, some onion soup mix, 1 egg, and a little BBQ sauce.  Mix it all together, and pour into your cupcake liners.

Bake on 350 for 25 or so minutes until the meat is cooked throughout.  I then make a glaze of BBQ sauce and brown sugar and pour over top and bake another 5 minutes.

I whipped up some mashed potatoes {no, not from the box this time} and then put them into a large ziplock bag and frosted my cupcakes!  Sprinkled a little season salt on top and there you have it!

I was rather pleased with the results, and thought to myself, Yep! I've got her now! She is going to love these cupcakes.. And for the moment of truth.  She took one look at it and said "what's this?"  a cupcake of course!  "no, that is not a cupcake"  Yes! Yes it is, go ahead and try it, it's very yummy.  "mom, I only eat cupcakes with sugar in them" and that was that!  While daddy and I scarfed down these sugar-less cupcakes, the little miss had a cheese stick and mandarin oranges. 

I am thinking my days of cheering at dinner time are not going away anytime soon.  What about y'all?  Any silly quirks you do for your littles?  I'd love to hear them!

the biggest thing I ever MADE...

Well, not me exactly.
No, a lot of contractors, and guys who have crazy amazing talents..
 
That's right!
I {well, we} built a house
and it's to date the biggest thing I have ever made.
Yes, I will go ahead and take credit from here on out.
You know why?
Because building a house is a roller coaster of emotions...
It's fun, scary, pricey, unknown, unsure...
but now... ALL WORTH IT.
 
Last year about this time, we decided, "let's put our house on the market and see what happens?"
We lived near our hometown, but not in. 
And we knew at some point before the peanut starting school,
We would have to move to get in the school district.
So may as well start, Right?
 
Lucky for us, our house sold, happy dance...
However, and maybe I was being too picky, but I just couldn't find the one!
I wanted to find a house where we could expand our family, and live there until our kids were grown... and while there were several that could have worked.. I just never had that A-HA moment.  At about the same time when I was starting to think I would have to settle, our realtor mentioned that a new builder in the area was going to be building in the neighborhood that was our #1 pick...
{funny how things just seem to work out.}
 
But wait, ummm...  What do we know about building a house? And isn't that ridiculously expensive.. We were clueless, but, we had a meeting with a builder.  He said all the right things and more importantly all the right numbers, made it sound terrific, we negotiated, agreed on price and a few short weeks later, were signing papers and writing checks.
 
The process itself, is pretty crazy.  I was absolutely in awe of how fast things went.  I mean of course I drove by everyday to check out that days work and yes, took pictures of every step.  I am sure the guys who worked on my house were very appreciative of the many pictures and drive-by's that I did. NOT 
 
We were able to pick paint colors, tile, floors, cabinets, carpet, where we wanted electric outlets.. Ahh.. It was overwhelming to say the least.  BUT, I think we did a pretty good job because I love how it all came together.  I am a very indecisive person and sometimes I would think "OMGee, is this all going to look ok together, maybe we should change fill in the blank. 
 
All in all, the building took a mere 4 months to complete in the dead of winter, might I add.. 
We had so much love and support during this process.  From our extremely considerate friends who took us in during this time and made the best roomies, and for my dad, who did all the dirt work and dug the basement and saved us a         S!%* ton of moolah... thanks daddy-o..!
 
 
 

The first choice that we would make..  Where would we build our house?  We knew the neighborhood, but which lot?  hmm... hard choice.  Ultimately, we went with the biggest back yard and with neighbors all around so that we wouldn't have to be in a construction zone in the future as more houses were built. 

 

Isn't it purdy?  Our little peice of real-estate.  The place that would soon house our family and memories for years to come!  

 

 
You see that giant pile of rock?  Ya, well that's not good.  Makes the basement harder to dig and will automatically up charge the price of your home.. I remember when signing our contract, the little clause at the bottom that said something to the effect of 'this price not reflective of rock removal including jack-hammering, ram-something or other dot.dot.dot'...I looked at the hubbs and said, "will we hit rock?"  His answer, no there are houses all around, we will be fine.  And, well we sure did!  So, thanks again daddy and sorry to my neighbors.. oops! 
 

and there's our basement... ^

 

 

The builder told us that his guys would have the house framed in about 4 days.. 4 days?  We called his bluff, no way! 

In one day! 

 ONE DAY,

we came to check the process and this was what was done! 

holy smokes...  impressed!

 

 

Freshly painted, and trimmed and cabinets in place...

We were turning cart-wheels this day! 

yes in the house...

 

 

All buttoned up as the hubbs called in.. roof on, sealed, no water can get in, and best of all..

It looks like an actual house. 

 

 

And with the exterior paint color we chose...

I learned a lot during this process, like I will never do it again! {ok, ok, it wasn't that bad} 

 
 Can I tell you what I did for 4 months while living with friends?  I pinned and searched and dreamed and decorated and re-decorated and shopped... now that we are in the house, I am continually decorating and DIY-ing to get it just right, but it is a process.  And I am on a budget {who isn't?} I would love to share my decorating, room by room, because that is pretty much what I am up to these days.  This house. Oh yea, and a puppy and a 3 year old! 
 
The hubbs and I love to DIY and have really done some incredible things to the house.  I'm a pretty lucky gal to have a hubbs that can pretty much make anything I ask him to and he has pretty good house sense too {like fashion sense, but only with a house, you get it?} I can't wait to share some of his projects as well.
 
So tune in for what's to come. Hopefully, you can find some inspiration and some decorating.on.a.budget tips and projects as well.
 

All righty my little lovelies..

 

The little sugar dumpling is with grandma this morning, which means I have a few hours to myself...

And what does every momma do when their little one is out of the house?

Yes, we crank the tunes and clean like mad crazy because it is the only time that after you are done cleaning, everything is actually still put away?

Uh-huh, momma's.. I see you shaking your heads!

 

and Dixie land delight is on just in time...

off to pat my knee obnoxiously and skip around the house while doing a little dusting.

 

It's the little things!

 

 
 

to 30 years

Happy Birthday

to...

my protector

the love of my life

my best friend

the father of my beautiful baby

thanks for being born because I couldn't have done all of this without you!  to many more years!

I love you!

Fountain Fun...

the mister took a little vaycay time last week and presley and I had so much fun doing fun things with him.  we decided to head up to crown center and visit Fritz's {the train restaurant} as well as Science City at Union Station!  we had a ton of fun and presley litterally ran herself tired!  my fave part of the day, we went to the fountains at crown center!  in all my years in Kansas City, I have never played in the fountains... but so glad we decided to try it out!  it was a blast!

and.. having daddy with us, meant that mommy got to be in a few pics..

linking up with the lovely emily for embrace the camera.