Friday, October 29, 2010

Picky pugs...

This week has been particularly draining. I'm very ready to sit outside with Josh and take in the crisp fall air. TGIF!

On a side note:

Cedric and Rose are very busy this weekend getting ready for Halloween. As they have aged, now reaching 8 and 7 years old respectively, they have become bored with the drab everyday dog costumes that so many of their friends sport. This year they wanted a distinguished and classic look.

Cedric is trying to decide between an English gentleman...


Or an accountant from Savannah, Georgia...he's working on both of his accents.


Rose, well she is getting back to the classics and wants to be Dorothy...


We'll just have to see what they end up sporting. Who knows!?! Picky, picky, picky!

No, these are not actually Cedric and Rose...
these are the very talented pugs from Rover Dog on Etsy.com. So cute!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Pumpkin pretties...

I'm loving the fall decor that surrounds us right now.

It makes me think of the few and far between crisp autumn mornings in Texas. Fall brings up memories of Friday night football games, bonfires at the ranch, and yummy pumpkin bread.

Right now I could spend a week just creating and playing with all of the fall decor that is being shared in the blog world.

However, real life does exist...boo!

Here are a few fun ideas though.

Check out this precious gourd garland from Martha Stewart.
You can create it yourself here.

Last year I saved this image from Cote de Texas so that I could attempt to recreate it.


My 10 minute effort...
I used burlap as the runner down the center of the table. I had scrap pieces leftover from another project. I placed some dried leaf sprigs down the center with deer antlers spaced out in between. I inserted a few fake pumpkins and gourds that I have in my decorating stash and called it a day!

A few of Martha's ideas...dang she's clever!


Anything with a monogram = perfection!


Love this fall party idea from Katie Grace Designs!


She gives the recipe for the pumpkin trifle here. If you make this, you must promise to bring me one! It would just be rude not to.


I hope you are somewhere enjoying a crisp autumn morning. However, if you are anywhere near me, I know you are already turning down the AC and flipping on the fan.

Happy Fall, y'all! I had to say it...

Monday, October 25, 2010

Bet you didn't see it coming...

Yep, 2 months from today!


Can you even believe it!?!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The $100 dog room budget blower!

I saw this on Urban Grace today!

Tell me this wallpaper is not destined for the dog room? Seriously.

I know, I know...I'd probably have have to take out a loan to afford it.

Wait, I've got it...I used to be in development and did fundraisers all of the time.

Bake Sale! My house! Tomorrow! All proceeds go to amazing dog wallpaper!

Probably need to work on my pitch for this one.

Don't judge.

xoxo

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The $100 dog room...

Bare with me now...this one is long!

We will celebrate our 1 year anniversary in the new house on October 22nd. We have spent the past year trying to make it ours. We've painted, purchased some new pieces, got rid of some old pieces, rearranged all of the pieces, re-worked items and slowly but surely have transformed the place from a new house to our home. It's truly been wonderful.

One of the biggest dilemmas after we moved in was deciding where our dogs would go. At the time, it was just Kenzie (black lab) and Katie (blue lacy). Having flagstone floors throughout the majority of the downstairs didn't worry me. However, their paws on the wood floors throughout the rest of the house made me cringe. Josh and I agreed that the girls could not have free reign of the place like the old house and would need to find a spot in the house to call their own.

At first they moved into the laundry room. However, all of the black lab hair on my white shirts wasn't all that attractive. We wrestled with what to do. Although there are some dogs that can sleep outside, due to my psychotic love of dogs, ours cannot. They simply cannot. It's true. Just ask them (please don't ask Josh though).

Josh asked me to indulge him in the idea of converting a huge walk-in closet that is under our stairs and directly beside our back door into a dog room. I was leery and hated the idea of losing the added storage. But after examining it and slipping on Katie's slobber from the water bowl while ironing one of my hair covered white shirts, it all became clear.

It was the perfect spot.

The closet would need a little conversion, but it was something that could be done AND it was another opportunity to decorate (this is when you need to disregard the fact that one of the guest rooms doesn't have sheets or lamps and that we still have the same lamps from college in our bedroom at this time).

The dog room was urgent. This was the next project that needed to be started. A special room just for our girls.

Now, because I truly did want new lamps for my bedroom and I knew that our guests would need light and sheets eventually, I put myself on a very strict $100 budget for the room. It kind of made it a challenge which was fun.

So, here's what I did...

We took the wooden door off of the closet because there was no way that Katie would be able to stay in her new casa without being able to see out. Ventilation into the room would be key for a hot black lab too. I tried a doggy gate for awhile but Katie, the too-smart-for-her-own-good blue lacy, figured out how to open and close that at her leisure. Something with a lock was required.

So, I started with a $34.00 screen door from Home Depot.
I knew it was way too tall for the doorway (it's a mini door because it's under the stairs). So, Josh happily chopped it in half. We then cut the screen and stapled it to the back of the frame. I primed and painted the base of the door.

Since I knew the door would be banged around and beat up over time, I went ahead and distressed it intentionally. I, personally, like distressed pieces a lot. So, this was perfect! I used a simple distressing technique of applying wax directly to the wood where you wanted the base layer of paint to show through. I had white paint leftover from the laundry room and black paint leftover from the guest bathroom. I just used an unscented white candle and rubbed the base of the door in various places. I then painted it black. You could see the areas where the white was coming through so I used a paper towel and wiped off the excess black paint that would not soak into the wood due to the candle wax.

I used a little bit of sandpaper once it all dried to beat it up even more. I added a handle and hinges that we had leftover from another project and my cute husband installed it for me. He also installed a very necessary $1.50 lock to the inside of it to keep Katie from being able to open the door. The best $1.50 that I've ever spent!

The floor of the room is concrete...perfect for 2 dogs. I added a leopard print straw rug that I had outside to cover up some of the concrete. I can sweep and shop-vac the rug and concrete in 2-3 min. Easy for cleaning up black lab hair!

The large wall that borders most of the 8ft. room was so boring. Katie and Kenzie could not agree on artwork...typical women. So, I decided to have a decal printed by the Etsy shop Visions in Vinyl. The decal was $25.00 (they were running a special) so it fit right into the budget. Heather at Visions in Vinyl created the perfect decal for the room. I received it a few days later and applied it that night.

Applying it was very easy.
Heather threw in some cute paw print decals that I added in the corners of the room.


Since I was sticking with a basic black, white, and khaki theme for the room, I was beyond thrilled when I stopped into Marshall's one day and found two damask dog beds for $19.99 each!


Katie loves her cozy bed. It makes her sleepy!

The final touch added to the room was framed pics of the girls. We had a box of black frames in the attic that weren't being used so a few minutes of assembly and they were put together and hung. Katie loves the photos of herself.


The room came together in a couple of days all under $100.00.

So here's my breakdown:

Screen door $34.00
White and black paint - we already had
Hinges and handle - we already had
One very necessary lock - $1.50
Rug - we already had; just needed a little cleaning
Decal for the wall - $25.00
2 dog beds - $40.00
Pictures and frames - we already had.

Grand total: $100.50 (plus a little bit of tax)

Now our girls are happy and love their own space, our girls are contained, and I can wear white shirts again!

Katie just chilling in her new house.
She actually plays in here and sleeps in here even when we have the gate open.

A definite $100 success!

Addendum to this post: After one week Katie, the too-smart-and-stubborn-for-her-own-good blue lacy, decided to walk through the screen door. Lovely. So, the screen was taken off and chicken wire was added. Success...so we thought. Three days later she pealed the chicken wire and metal staples off of the back of the door and set herself free. No, I'm not proud of her success. We then added heavy gauge rabbit wire and metal plates screwed into the back of the door to hold it in place and keep her from pulling it off. It's week 3 and it's holding. Success really can't be used to describe this...all I can say is that we are smarter than our dog for the time being and the $100 budget was blown by rabbit wire and steel plates. Lovely.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Hug a pug...

It's a Monday. And definitely a Monday back after being gone on a mini-vacation. I'm exhausted and already have started counting the minutes until the weekend.

Until I'm caught up on laundry and emails here's a little pug love for you.

Can't remember where I found this photo. Sorry loves! If you know, let me know!

These guys definitely make all Mondays better.

xoxo

Friday, October 15, 2010

Weekend getaway...

Wouldn't this place be the most amazing retreat for a weekend or a week or a month?

I'm saving this image for my "someday when I win the lottery" file!

Josh and I are away for the weekend. A weekend of hunting, the outdoors, cool mornings, and sunny afternoons. We'll be in West Texas under the Marfa lights.

Hopefully we'll have lots to report on when we return.


via Sunset
Oh, and don't worry...and 4 dogs are being dogsat (is that a word?) together at the house. Pray that we come home to a happy home.
Happy weekend!
xoxo

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Wednesday's want...

Floating boat bed with fluffy white bedding...yes, please!!!

Skona Hem via Follow Studio
xoxo

Monday, October 11, 2010

Breathe in...breathe out...

Monday is here. It was a great weekend, but the usual Monday anxiety is building in me. The checklists for the day, the week, the month, the rest of the year are running through my head this morning.

This really spoke to me.

And so did this...

Matthew 6:34 "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Deep breath. Prayer. Deep breath.

Friday, October 8, 2010

TGIF!

Happy Friday, Y'all!

We are loving this amazing weather! This weekend we are headed to move the Belted Galloways into new pastures, add some new crazy members to our ranchette (more to come) , and spend as much time as possible outside relaxing and enjoying this amazing time of year.

Eddie Ross

These black and white pumpkins were too cute not to save.
Such a cool idea...pumpkin, spray paint, glue and rick rack.
Sounds like a pretty good Friday night to me! Don't judge.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

xoxo

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Round Top Rowdiness

Last Saturday's endurance shopping excursion to Round Top, in particular Marburger Farms, was exhausting but worth every minute. I've finally recovered.

Our biggest concern of the morning, arriving shortly after the gates opened, was whether or not we would able to cover the enormous amount of stuff crammed into 11 tents in the next seven hours. It would take commitment, dedication, and no lolly-gagging.

Yeah, right. Me not lolly-gag as I shop? Ha. Especially when I am with my two girlfriends. I kept repeating to my self, "focus, focus." Luckily both of my girlfriends are moms and were able to drag me on to the next great booth when it was time to move on. This was the last day of the show (it started on Tuesday) and the dealers would be leaving as soon as the gates were closed. Ugh.

I'm not sure why I ever doubted our ability in covering the entire place. We fought hard and did it with nearly 45 minutes to spare. This would truly be Josh's worst nightmare...7 hours of shopping!

It helped that I came prepared with a list of items that I've been looking for lately. I had tried to comparatively price stuff online to find out the going rates of things, but to be honest, in the moment if it felt right and the dealer was willing to negotiate and I loved it...I was taking it home.

The first item I was hunting for...seltzer bottles.

I found these 3 guys at two separate dealers. At the end of the day the dealers were willing to cut prices significantly so that they wouldn't have to take things home with them. I particularly love the center bottle with the old wire netting.

They look perfect in their new home...on the kitchen hutch.


Mere was hunting for a sunburst mirror. It was shocking to see the prices of some of the antique sunburst mirrors throughout the tents. To say that these are hot right now is an understatement. They varied in price from $30 to $5000...most being WAY above our price range (which was very close to the $30 rather than the $5000).

Mere's new fab sunburst mirror

We all purchased quite a few art pieces for our homes. Meredith and Hannah both found some amazing prints and etchings for their art collections. I found 2 etchings for my dining room that are over 200 years old.

The treasures from the day...if only we would have had a Uhaul.


Soon this guy, a 200+ year old etching, will be hanging in our dining room.
The picture does not do it justice, of course.


Mere picked up these awesome prints that were
once used to teach children lessons on character. There was a set of about 20 of them.
These would be awesome in any playroom.

Hannah picked up these awesome aviary prints for her family room redo.
So soft and beautiful.

I've been in LOVE with the use of locker baskets on
shelves for books, movies, magazines, etc. I had to have these!
The dealer had stacks and stacks of them.
I think I'm regretting not purchasing more of them.

Where to put them? Where to put them?
Josh's vote...not in the middle of the living room floor like they are now. Ooops.

Of course, we did have to refuel in the middle of the day.
Texas Twisters and burgers helped revive us.


My big splurge of the trip was a lamp for our living room. I've been searching and searching for the right one.

A little secret...buying lamps completely intimidates me! Lighting in a room is like jewelry on a woman. It can make or break a look. Finally, I made a decision and purchased this one from a shop out of Birmingham, AL.


It sits perfectly next to the couch.
The burlap shade and distressed urn blend into the room,
not standing out too much but not blending completely away either.

I'm really happy with it.
It casts the perfect amount of light.
And thankfully Josh liked it too!

Hannah picked up a small oriental throw rug for her husband's office.
Great deal and a piece she'll have for a long time.
Choosing between the hundreds and hundreds of rugs that were for sale was tough.

Our final purchase for the day, and maybe the most extravagant,
a chocolate chip Royer's Round Top Cafe pie.
If you know Royer's then you know why we bought the entire pie rather than just a piece.

Marburger Farms and Round Top, in general, were an awesome adventure for us all. It was definitely a day filled with fantastic shopping, an awesome time with friends, and an opportunity to see and learn about all sorts of beautiful and crazy items from the past. I adored it all.

This semi-annual show will be held once again in the Spring of 2011.

I'm already planning for that one. I need to prepare. I have big decisions to make...a truck from Uhaul, Ryder or Budget?

Decisions. Decisions.


Monday, October 4, 2010

Hunting...

Happy Monday!

Bow hunting season opened this weekend here in South Texas. Most of the men that I know were out in a blind or tree stand with their best buddies. They've waited for this day for almost a year...practicing for hours ahead of time to be at the top of their game and counting the minutes until daylight hit and they could spend the time that they so desperately crave in touch with nature and the animals, looking for a prize...a true trophy to take home.

I too was there eagerly awaiting the opportunity to hunt. Craving to go with my best girlfriends into the wild to scour the land for a prize...a trophy...something to hold in my hands and feel the sense of accomplishment and success for my hard work, practice and dedication.

That's right...I just returned from my first hunting adventure to the Marburger Farms Antiques Fair outside of Round Top, Texas with two of my best girlfriends.

Our long hours of practice paid off. Our perseverance through the sun, wind, and dust proved to be worth it. The elements were against us, but we were stronger.

A trophy was harvested (actually a few were taken).

There are 3 words to sum up our expedition: Fab! U! Lous!

Fabulous and so much fun!

Here's a sneak peak of our hunt...

Our pre-hunt meal on Friday night before leaving for Round Top on Saturday.
Mexican vanilla and strawberry cupcakes from Delish!


Meredith and I early in the hunt at Marburger Farms.


One of my trophies...old seltzer bottles!


Unbelievable trophy....1920's fashion print featuring women hunters!
This one might end up in the record books.

More to come on our adventure.

I must rest.

My body is weary from the exertion. Thank goodness this only comes twice a year.