Category: see

i love fall – we begin to get a break from the hot temps, football is in full swing, my wardrobe is transitioning, and the leaves are thinking about changing.  i have always felt that it can be a time for reinvention, and this year i went kinda big.  see that pony tail below?  a few short hours ago, it was attached to my head.  it actually looks kind of creepy, right?  well, i didn’t request to keep it just because.  i’m donating it to beautiful lengths.  i’ve wanted to do it for a long time, but never had hair long enough to where it wouldn’t be a pixie if i cut this much.  so, i’m happy it worked out this time.

i’ve done a drastic cut like this several times, but i was extra anxious today.  i guess because it’s been quite a while since my hair has been short.  i sat in my hairdresser’s seat, and i got her endorsement to make the big chop.  back it went into a ponytail, and then the unmistakable sound of it being cut.  i looked up, and she said ‘don’t give me that look.  there’s no going back now.’  the moment my hair fell, i already loved it.  she cleaned it up, gave me a few curls, and here’s the new look.

it’ll never look this good again – because i am not good with hair – but at least i feel good tonight.

 

 

it was a gray and rainy weekend filled with football, and a giant pot of soup seemed a fitting way to cap it off.  this is a super flavorful soup that’s pretty healthy, though we balanced the healthy bit with a grilled cheese.  i used this recipe from ina.  it ended up being a little more work than i really planned on, but it was worth it in the end, and we have a ton of leftovers.

first step is roasting tomatoes and doing all the chopping.  the only modification i made was adding a red pepper in the beginning with the onions.  i thought it would add more flavor than it actually did – i may try more next time.

assemble the soup and cook for 45 minutes…

send it all through the food processor, warm it back up, and voila!

i love a good antique mall.  the one in kansas city’s river market is three stories plus a basement filled from floor to ceiling with a fair amount of junk and a lot of treasures.  i went perusing this past weekend looking for a subject for a new project.  of course, you can’t help but get a little off track in a place like that.  there is just so much to look at!  here are a few of the treasures i spotted on my little adventure.

this painting was in the bathroom, and it looked just like the place where we backpacked in colorado a few years ago.yes, i pulled out my phone and took a picture – don’t judge.

i thought this art piece was pretty awesome.  it’s string looped around the pegs, making a really cool design.  it was giant, and just looked bright and playful.  would be perfect for a kids’ play room.  

i really liked this coffee table. love the mid-century vibe, just a beautiful hunk of wood.  the black chair behind it was sweet too – it’s a recliner!  you don’t come across stylish recliners very often.  

turns out, i have a thing for chairs.  i want to adopt all the sad ones and give them a makeover.  i loved this chair and thought it would be great in our front room with some paint and some kicky new fabric.  and it was only $30!!  i texted jared the picture, and got this in return:  “easy chair lady.  i think we are running out of chair space, and we each only have one ass.”  point taken.  

this pepto bismal pink coffee table caught my eye in the very back corner of the top floor.  really, how could you not see it?  hated the color, but pondered what it could be.

check back in (hopefully!) tomorrow to see which piece came home with me and what i did with it!

i’ve seen her before, but have started to see more of her via lots of pins on pinterest.  it seems that the girl cannot come up with a bad outfit.  she wears a lot of classic pieces, but gives them her own spin with great accessories.  here are a few of my favorite ensembles…

i’m seeing a recurring theme of the statement necklace, which i am loving.  you’re wearing shorts?  statement necklace!  you’re wearing a t-shirt?  statement necklace!  it just brings whatever you’re wearing to a new level.  i think i’ll be shopping my jewelry cabinet a little more in the coming weeks.

and i need to try these braids, stat.

also loving this done, but not too done, hair-do and light sweep of make-up.  again with the statement necklace!

happy hump day!

…of wedded bliss.  happy anniversary to my dear sweet husband.  i love you, jb.

i would do our wedding over in a heart beat, and i’m not even sure i would change anything.  we had an amazing ceremony and reception with one of the best bands i’ve ever heard.  our favorite people were around us, and we had the most fun we’ve ever had.  can we do it all again, please?

we danced our faces off that night, and at the end, everyone chanted ‘encore’ until the band finally gave in and played one more song.

tired, but so so happy…

if you read my last post, you know i’m trying to get more on the ball about creating a ‘system’ for this house to get it running more smoothly.  well, two things popped up in the last couple days that are related, and thought i’d share.  first, after reading my post, my sweet mother in law suggested that i read sidetracked home executives, a book she read when she was at this very same stage in life.  mr. amazon was kind enough to deliver it today, so i’m going to see what these ladies have to say.  the first few pages are pretty funny, so i think it’ll be a pretty entertaining read.  second related note is that emily over at jones design company has started a new offering, a monthly printable collection.  well, one of her printables is a ‘house duties’ grid for both adults and kiddos.  if you’re like me, having it printed out on something pretty will make it more bearable to look at.

so, enough housekeeping talk, and on to something more fun.  the short guy’s favorite new activity is to climb the stairs and make a b-line for the bathtub.  whether or not there’s water, he wants to get in and play with his toys.  too funny.  that sweet little outfit is one that jared’s aunt deb made when he was a wee one – that means it’s 30 years old – totally vintage.  i had to get him in it for a few photos.

one last thing – a hot tip for parents of kids eating mush.  i really can’t claim that this is my own hot tip.  i’ve watched a few other mamas (meredith and regan, i’m lookin’ at you) do this and thought ‘what a great idea’, so thought i’d share with you.  if you’re trying to feed your little one on the go, i think these are the best.  you can just squirt a ‘bite’ at a time straight from the bottle into your little one’s mouth, and there’s no clean-up…well, other than that sweet face.  the ella brand comes in some unique flavors (i mean, when was the last time you had parsnips or rutabaga?), and b-man loves them.

 

stupid good.  the end.

so i was walking through the grocery store earlier in the week, and they had a recipe for a summer peach crostata sitting next to the peaches, so i picked it up.  i tried it out last night, and i put my own spin on it – mainly because i didn’t have enough peaches, but i did have blueberries (of course).  it seems like every time i make something, i take a bite and say some thing like ‘next time, i’ll (fill in the blank).’  this time was no different.  it was great, but i was hoping for a different crust experience.  cooking is a lot of trial and error, and next time i’ll try a new pastry crust – probably ina’s, because i think she can do no wrong.  the insides, though, were delicious (i did add about 1/4c of sugar to the fruit).  this is one of those dishes that looks nice, doesn’t take a lot of time, and you could change it up based on what you like.  a good foundation recipe that you can make your own.  it’s nice to have a few recipes like that in your back pocket.

{ingredients}

{dough – made in the food processor – so easy!}

{assembled crostata – not yet baked}

{ok, so i forgot to take a picture before we served ourselves}

i probably laid in bed an hour before i fell asleep last night, all the while making a list in my head of all the little projects that i need to get done.  i am on a little organization kick, and i really need to finish up some things that i’ve started but not yet brought to completion.  nothing big – just stuff like hanging shelves, giving a few things a fresh coat of paint, and weeding out stuff that we aren’t using.  so for a little kick in the pants i went to visit martha.  she has a plethora of great ideas for organizing.  i could peruse all day, but i’ve got to get busy!

we celebrated our independence by starting the day on a family hike.  the scenery – oh my gosh – the scenery!  (lindsey, you’re not in these because you were running 7 miles in crazy altitude – no big deal)

oh my – these boys sure love each other.

next we went kayaking on dillon lake in frisco.   we went with chad and lindsey and rented a couple of tandem kayaks.  it was a picture-perfect day – sunny with big lofty clouds and about 75 degrees.  would have been great to hop in the water, but we didn’t swim for two reasons – the lake was 40 degrees and they don’t allow it – but mostly because it was 40 degrees.

jared might look like he’s selling tickets for the ‘gun show’ here, but he’s just trying to even out his farmer’s tan from a few days before.

we headed back into breckenridge to meet up with my parents and the short guy.  turns out, breck throws one heck of a party for the 4th.  they have a parade (which we missed), and then main street stays blocked off for running around and hosing off kids.  the kids were having a blast, and the fire-fighters could not stop smiling.  no one could.

and b-man donned his captain america shirt for the occasion.

 well, now that i’ve assaulted you with pictures, i’ll be on my merry way.  a great time was had by all, and we enjoyed the purple mountains’ majesty, and saw a whole lotta amber waves of grain on our drive home through kansas.

i’m back in the saddle on this here blog, and hope to see you again soon.  until then…