California

Trip to Cali

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

I miss the days of long family road trips. Growing up and getting married means you don't always get to go along on the family vacations! (I am hoping that we get to sneak away on a few!) My family recently went to California for vacation. Luckily, I was able to live vicariously through my sister's instagram feed! It felt like she was teasing me I was with them! Anyway...I thought I would share some of the pictures from their adventure.











 Brooke got this cute shirt! I am not usually a fan of souvenir shirts, but I loved this one. Layton got one that said, "Keep Calm and Play Dead" (which is not actually recommended if you encounter a bear...wow, I learn a lot when they go on vacation!)



 They had a great time (even if they had to drive 50+ hours!), but we are glad to have them back! They even brought us back some yummy treats! Bear Poop, anyone?

-Britt

entryway

PULL...In Case You Didn't Know

Monday, July 29, 2013

I have had this little treasure sitting in my entryway for a while now. There is a nice little collection of plants on it, and I LOVE getting work done out there when the windows are open! However, I can't resist a little updating! When we first got the desk I thought I was going to paint it (don't worry, I have pretty much ditched that idea) and change the hardware. I was thinking that something modern and sparkly would be great against the dark wood.



BUT...then I remembered I had these gems!



I found these knobs at Michael's a couple of years ago on clearance! I only paid $1...for BOTH of them. I was just waiting for the perfect spot to put them. I think this is it!

So, they deliver obvious directions...I am okay with that! In fact, I really like the way they look on the desk.


What do you think?

-Britt

dish towel

DIY Dish Towels

Saturday, July 27, 2013

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend! I have had a very productive day off...cleaning, watching back to back episodes of New Girl, and doing some DIY!



 I have been wanting to make some ombre towels for a while now, and it seemed like the perfect day to do it! So, I went to Wal-Mart and picked up some dish towels and fabric dye. Total cost...$5! Pretty awesome, I know.



 I just followed the dying instructions on the back of the package. I wrapped the towel around a stir stick and placed it over the dye. Every 2 minutes I flipped the stick over, letting a little more of the towel into the dye. This created the ombre look that I was going for.



Once I had achieved the look I wanted, I rinsed the towels. (Don't let the excess dye run onto the white section of the towel!) I ended up with two beautifully ombre dish towels...AND it only took me about 15 minutes!



I am pretty impressed, and I kind of want to dye something else! Hank, I have a fun project for us to do the next time you are at Aunt Britt's! ;)

-Britt

organization

I AM LOVING...Vera Bradley Organization

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

I have always been a fan of planners. Don't get me wrong, I like my iPhone calendar...BUT I really enjoy writing my schedule down on paper. PLUS, I get to use cute writing, doodles, and highlighters! Yes, I am kind of a dork! Anyway...with my busy schedule, it is really important to have a planner that I love! Luckily, Vera Bradley has come up with the ultimate calendar, the 2014 Student Agenda! No, I am not a student, but this is still my planner of choice!







When my days are packed with photo shoots, editing, work, workouts, and blogging it is important to keep every minute organized. The Vera Bradley 2014 Student Agenda makes organizing my schedule a piece of cake. PLUS...it is super cute! Has Vera Bradley ever made anything that wasn't?!? NO!

 Here are a few things that I am loving about this planner:
Cute, Colorful Pockets: I am always tucking loose paper into my planners, but they used to slip out and get misplaced. That doesn't happen anymore! The pockets help keep my extra papers contained. AND they are great for storing some extra business cards.
Quick Glance Holiday Calendar: It is so nice to have quick access to a 2013-2014 calendar with all of the holidays highlighted! I cannot tell you how many time I have flipped to this page for scheduling.
Sturdy, Laminated Tabs: I have had planners in the past that have been flimsy and disappointing. I have had this planner for a couple months, and the tabs are still in perfect condition!
Schedule: (This would be a great feature if I were still in school!) There are 4 semesters worth of pages to keep your class schedule handy! It kind of makes me want to go back to school! ;)
Monthly and Weekly Calendars: I use both monthly and weekly calendars to keep my schedule organized! This feature is a must for any planner!
Fun Holidays: I would never know when Sea Monkey Day was (it is May 16)...think of all the holidays I was missing out on!

There are also stickers, a place for important numbers and notes, and a book mark...AND it goes from May 2013 to December 2014!

 What kind of planner do you use: digital, paper, no planner at all?

 All opinions are 100% my own. I was not compensated in any way for this post.

chicago

Chicago

Tuesday, July 16, 2013



 Saturday we loaded up the car and headed to Chicago. Let me tell you, 6 girls in a car for 5 hours is VERY entertaining. It was easily one of the greatest road trips ever! We arrived at our hotel around 2 o'clock, and got cleaned up before we took a cab downtown. After supper at Rainforest Cafe, we walked down to Michigan Avenue to do some shopping. The little girls had a blast...Brooke even found a pair of leopard print pants that she loved, and ended up buying! We went into several stores and got some great stuff. A few hours later we were loaded down with bags and ready to head back to the hotel...and it only took us a bus, train, and taxi to get there. To say that I am over public transportation is an understatement.



 We went to Navy Pier on Sunday morning. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time.







After lunch, we went back to the hotel to get ready for the main event. My sis-in-law met us there so I could snap some maternity pictures before the concert! AND I got to feel the baby kick!!!! (This may have been the highlight of my weekend!)

 The concert was packed with screaming girls and their moms. I wouldn't say that I am a "directioner", but I did have a good time dancing and singing along with the girls!



 AND it isn't a trip to Chicago without going to IKEA! Monday we stopped on our way home and shopped ! I got lots of goodies...including something for a DIY project!!! I will be posting about that soon. :)

 Overall, the trip was great. It was great to get to spend the weekend with Lauren and the rest of the girls.

 BTW...I came home to a clean house! Dane did the laundry, dishes, and cleaned up! I was so surprised and grateful! I am one lucky wifey!

 -Britt

h54f

High Five for Friday

Friday, July 12, 2013



 1. Started off my week with some awesome workouts! I have to get back into a routine, and make time for the gym everyday! This is going to be priority numero uno next week!

2. My mornings are always so much better when I get up early and get work done. I was able to spend some time at the local coffee shop TWICE this week! Talk about productive!

3. New business cards finally came in this week!!! I cannot even express how excited I am about this! I LOVE THEM! Who wants to do business?! ;)

 4. I have been busy preparing for my trip to Chicago all week. Tomorrow is the big day...but I honestly don't know if I am more excited about that, or the fact that it is Embrace Your Geekness Day! You know I will be celebrating that!

5. More time in the morning is always great! I love when I can sit down and enjoy breakfast, watch the news, or read. It is a great start to the day...don't you think?!

Hope you all had a great week! I am linking up with Lauren for H54F today!

-Britt

garden

Pick a Peck of Peppers (and Tomatoes)

Thursday, July 11, 2013

I am so excited about our little garden! Dane and I attempted planting some peppers and other veggies last year, but that was a giant FAIL! However, this year we have a pretty nice crop of peppers and tomatoes! We started out with some pretty little plants that I potted in my DIY planters. (I did paint over them again...I was going for a more rustic/neutral look this year.) I also sprinkled a little bit of Scott's Flower and Vegetable Food into the soil when I planted them. The only other thing I have really done is water them. 





I can see some homemade salsa in our future...sounds like a good reason to throw a fiesta! Who is in? 

All of the plants are doing great! However, I do think that I will put them in larger pots next year. AND I took out most of my DIY Garden Labels. They all started to fall apart...DIY fail! Guess I should have asked Dad to do it! ;)

baby quilt

Sew Lovely

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Remember when I wrote about wanting to quilt? (You can find that post here.) Well, I did it! I have actually been working on it for several months, but it was a surprise. Last weekend, I gave my sweet sister-in-law my first ever baby quilt! It is not easy to give away your first quilt as a gift, but I had been planning to give it to her sweet bundle of joy from the moment I started making it.


I have to give a LOT of credit to my grandma! She helped me through every step! We went shopping together back in February for some fabric to get started...that step is a lot harder then I thought it would be. I really thought I would be able to find a couple of prints that I liked and a couple of solids that would tie it all together. WRONG! I looked and looked and looked. There were several prints that I liked, but nothing looked that great together. Luckily, my grandma is a master at this! She helped keep me away from fabrics that were going to be difficult to use and helped me pick out the fabric that I ended up purchasing for the project. I am sure that was not an easy job for her...I am not exactly the easiest person to shop with. Sorry, Grandma! 

Anyway...I ended up getting a jelly roll of cool, watercolor-like fabric. There were several different greens, blues, and purples that went together SO perfectly (at this point I didn't know that the little babe was a boy). 

Once we got back to my grandma's, I was ready to start working! The jelly roll fabric was already cut into the width that we needed...YIPPEE for making the job a little easier! I spent the whole afternoon sewing, sewing, and sewing some more! By the end of the day I had a beautiful (and finished) quilt top! I am still in shock that I got that part done so quickly! 


I decided to have the top sent off to be machine quilted, and I am glad I did! Grandma suggested a loopy design, and it looks so great.


The next step was adding the binding (a.k.a. the colorful edge that ties it all together) This step took me the longest. It involved sewing the binding to the front of the quilt and then hand stitching it around to the back. I wouldn't say that it is perfect, but I am pretty pleased with how the whole thing turned out!

I am by no means an expert quilter, but I do plan on making another one sometime soon!

It's JULY!!!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Warning: I haven't been able to blog for a while. SO...this post is pretty long and random. Sorry! 

Is it just me or is this year flying by!?! June was a crazy, busy month. There were a LOT of photo shoots, TONS of family gatherings :), and not as many lazy days in the sun (maybe this month)! 

Last week was especially busy. I kicked off senior season! WOO HOO! Seniors are my favorite! AND I took baby pictures galore! Hello, baby bug...you have bitten! I don't know how anyone could not want a baby after spending time with the little ones that I photographed. It is a good thing I am going to have a little nephew to love on in a couple short months! 

Friday was the first day that I didn't have a photo shoot, and Dane had a truck pull! So, I spent the evening cheering on my hubby! 
The rest of the weekend was filled with family fun (rodeo, kareoke, baby shower, cookout, AND a movie night!) PHEW...I am yawning just thinking about it! 


The first week of July has been almost as busy! My aunt, cousins, and I kicked the month off with our weekly Bachelorette party! We celebrated with champaign and popsicles (don't worry Grandma...Emily had sparkling water) AND we did foot soaks with my favorite Aromassentials Unwind Bath Salts! It was devine! 

Tuesday was my brother's 21st birthday! I cannot believe that he is already 21! Of course that was a reason to celebrate...and Fast Eddies was the place to do it! 

Wednesday and Thursday Dane and I went out my families lake lot to spend time with them and watch the fireworks! (Is it just me or does the 4th of July feel like the end of summer to anyone else?) I got to snuggle with my sweet little Kinleigh quite a bit while we soaked up the sun. 

This is going to be a very eventful month...trip to Chicago, birthday parties, and vacation planning! Cheers for July...I hope you have a great month!

drive in

Weekend Love

Monday, July 08, 2013

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend! I sure did! Dane and I went out to the lake on Saturday afternoon and spent a couple of hours in the sun.


Then we headed to town for a cookout at my aunts and movie night at the drive in. We uses to go there all the time when we were dating, but this was our first trip as a married couple...needless to say, I was pretty excited! It was pretty cold, and the last movie didn't get over until 1:30, but we had a great time!


Sunday we went to church and spent the rest of the day with family. I always love lazy Sundays with the fam...it was perfect!

This week I will be getting LOTS of editing done and packing for Chicago! Let's just say I am excited! I am also planning a couple simple DIY projects and I have a fun recipe to share!