Mini Haul | GAP Outlet

We got bored a couple days ago - so we drove on over to Columbus Georgia for some impromptu shopping. Mainly for "Miri's Birthday related stuff"...but I did happen upon a GAP Outlet store while we were there. ;) This location is pretty small in comparison to the one in Foley AL. (My favorite) I did leave with some pretty sweet deals though! Check it out ---->

GAP Outlet

5555 Whittlesey Blvd

Columbus, GA 31909

V-neck navy sweater - $5.99

Skinny blue belt - $1.18

Blue perfume gift set - $11.19

Grand total - $18.36

Not too bad! The perfume smells fantastic. :) I fell in love with it right after I sniffed it. This scent kinda reminds me of Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana. Similar names - coincidence? I was going to post a link but it does not appear to be available through Gap.com - sad day. I tried ladies!

How is 2014 treating you so far?

Food Porn | Elephant Soup

This is the 2nd installment in my new "Food Porn" series. :) I hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Like my last recipe - this one also incorporates ye ole crockpot. I actually mixed all the ingredients (minus the vegetable broth) in a ziploc bag and froze it the night before. Then - when I got up the next morning all I had to do was cut open the baggy and toss (gently) in the block of soup (lol) and turn the crockpot on low. Done!  It was very satisfying to come home to a hot bowl of this soup after a long day of working in a building with no heat! NOM & BRRR. Here she be...

Elephant Soup

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion - diced

2 green onions - chopped

2 red bell peppers - chopped

4 cloves minced garlic

1-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

8 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon of celery salt

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 cup peanut butter (add very last)

sour cream (topping)

Directions:

Add all the ingredients into the crockpot minus the peanut butter and sour cream. (Yes - I said peanut butter) Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. When the soup is done stir in the peanut butter and cook on high for 20-30 additional minutes. Lastly - put some sour cream on top yo! 

The Secret Sisters @ Standard Deluxe

Last night - India, Matt, and I had the pleasure of going to go see "The Secret Sisters" at Standard Deluxe in Waverly - AL. It was fantastic.  -----> Their website here <-----

Photo credit decca.com

This traditional country music group consists of two lovely sisters...Laura and Lydia Rogers. (I adore the name Lydia btw) They are actually a somewhat local band - coming from Muscle Shoals, AL. Laura's voice reminds me of Mama Cass Eliott's voice a bit. (I'm a big The Mamas & The Papas fan) India and I were really stoked about the show all week. Her favorite song is "Tomorrow Will Be Kinder" - I was unaware until last night that it was inspired by our 2011 tornado outbreak in Alabama. The crowd got very quiet when they sang it - it was beautiful.  -----> View short video I took <----- I took a longer one - but you can hear India yelling about a spider she saw on the cooler during it. LOL

This Is Halloween

----> This Is Halloween <---- Go ahead and sing the song - I know you wanna. Actually...I found myself singing (and dancing) to this song at a wedding reception just this past weekend. Nightmare Before Christmas songs are a great way to bring the inner 7 year old out of a group of full grown adults lol.  The wedding was pretty darn fantastic...I mean...they lit a unity rocket folks! (Not kidding) I wish I had more photos but I got into the boxed wine! ;) Darn that boxed wine! (Shakes fist)

We all stayed out past 1 am. (Gasp you should!) What's really impressive is that we all didn't go into cardiac arrest after dancing to "Shout." We were really feeling the late 20s and early 30s. (So much jumping I tell you!) We ended our night over at Ruthie's house, and she has a massive bug collection. Because - let's mix alcohol and bugs...why not? LOL No humans or insects were harmed and I came home with two pet hissing cockroaches? How does that even happen? The husband definitely does not approve. I will spare you from photos of them. They are named Jake and Elwood. ;) At least I didn't leave with 10 - like Joy. I figured they would be a nice science-type experiment for Silas? So many question marks!

Halloween is only 2 days away...and our party is only 3 days away! I'm really looking forward to taking lots of awesome photos this week. Maybe throw in a review or two? I know I've been gone a while. 

How was your Tuesday? Miri the mouse is still awake. -_O

New Blogging Space!

This little area may currently be my favorite little nook in the entire house. How adorable is it? :) I thought it would be fun to give a little e-tour of my new blogging space.

1. This gold vintage chair belonged to my great-grandmother, "NaNa." She passed away many years ago - but we just got our hands on this a couple of weeks ago. It was in a storage shed thats contents were going to be thrown away. Good thing we saved it!

2. LOL This is my "Patron Saint of Smiling" art. It is one of my favorite pieces in the house. Matt and I found it on a trip to Orlando. (Pure gold!) I have mad love for Will Ferrell...many of my friends don't...so they don't find it as amusing as I do. ;) If it doesn't make you laugh, it's your loss.

3. This is a painting that my grandfather affectionately calls "Mammie." The artist was a family friend that sadly passed away a couple of years ago. We have another painting that goes with it that is displayed on the opposite wall in the dining room. I don't think the other one has a name? It's an old man sitting on a basket with the same cotton field in the back. I can remember these hanging in my grandparent's house during my childhood...so they are both very special. :)

4. How cute is this desk? We bought it from our friend Erin just last week. It didn't look anything like this though! (See before and after photo) It was her dad's desk that he owned during the 60s. I think it turned out quite nicely! All it needed was a couple coats of paint, polycrylic, and new hardware. Brand new!

5. Awww - it's Silas' hands and footprints. He was 20 months old when he made this for me. I think it was a mother's day present? I adore it. 

6. Lastly, my Daher tins. Matt loves to give me lots of grief over them. He is constantly making fun of the name. Whatever! If you want me to love you forever...give me a Daher tin. You can find them scattered about antique and thrift stores. Make sure it has this stamp though! (Below) There are many fakes roaming around out there! One of my best friends (Ruthie) got me into collecting them. She has like...a million. They were used as decorations for her wedding reception. It was beautiful. 

Designed By Daher

Long Island NY

Container Made

In England

How was your day? :) Tomorrow is hump day! Does anybody else hate that damn camel as much as I do? I hear his voice in my head every Wednesday when I crawl out of bed. Ugh.

Birchbox Un-boxing | October 2013

This year is really flying by - and it's completely freaking me out lol. This is a thing right? I've always heard that the older you get - the quicker time passes. Just stop it already 2013! :P
Anywho! October Birchbox a'hoy! 

I really couldn't publish my un-boxing post quick enough lol. I wanted to dive right in and start using everything. Birchbox really stepped up their game this month - big fan over here!
Benefit Cosmetics Fake Up | Full-size, $24
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser | Full-size, $21.50
Liz Earle Pure Muslin Cloth | 2 cloths, $6
POP Beauty Aqua Lacquer | Full-size, $14
&& Birchbox Find ChapStick Hydration Lock
Were you pleased with the October box? :)

Would you like to subscribe to Birchbox?

You can do so...

----->HERE<-----

------> Etsy Shop Lust <------ I'm going to try out something new here on ye olde blog. I thought it would be fun to give random shout-outs to Etsy shops that I'm currently loving. I find some pretty awesome sellers on a regular basis...and I feel like I should share them with my readers!  Today's shoppe (<--- oh fancy) is "Mint and Arrows." I already own one of their hair ties and 2 more are on the way. They are so soft and comfortable - no headaches. I may end up purchasing a couple once a month or so. ;) At $6 per tie...who can say no? I highly recommend them!

Feature | Eynack Glasses

I'm really excited to spread the news about my super cute new glasses. :) These are a fashion pair - but I'm very much considering having prescription lenses put in them. Aren't they adorable?

Bomer frames

$85 on Eynack.com ♥

They are designer acetate/organic sustainable bamboo glasses made by Eynack. (Handmade, actually!) I wore them to work the day after they arrived in the mail and I received many compliments throughout my day. They look simply lovely on - very unique. The "Bomer" frames put a new spin on the classic nerd glasses. My only complaint is that I got a slight headache towards the end of the day. I'm going to blame that on my sensitive noggin. I can't even wear headbands...it's ridiculous. They are affordable and there are many styles to choose from. What is one of my favorite things about Eynack? For every pair of glasses purchased on their site they donate TWO pairs to children in need. How awesome is that?

----------> View their entire collection here <----------

I may need to add the "Expert Shades" to my Christmas list. ;)

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How has your week been so far? I'm not going to lie - it has been quite a long week for this mama. Nothing that a Starbuck's coffee won't fix! ;) Interested in seeing October's Birchbox tomorrow?

October's Lust-worthy Items

:Sigh: October...it's my favorite month out of the entire year. It was actually cool outside today! Hey! Maybe I will get to wear a scarf tomorrow and drink a Pumpkin Spice Latte!? It's the little things folks...

 

Custom Tree Bark Ring

$68 on Etsy

Retro Hair Tie

$6 on Etsy

Mumford & Sons Painting :)

$20 on Etsy

 

Walk The Line Necklace

$15.95 on Etsy

Let Them Eat Cake Ring

$104 on Etsy

Additional $74 for the plain band ----> Here <----

Martha Stewart 9 Cube Organizer

$44.98 at Home Depot

You may get to the last item and be all "say what?" We have several of these neat "cubes" in a piece of furniture in our old room. (Furniture from IKEA) It's a giant closet-thing that won't fit in our new room. So - we need to move our cubes into our bedroom and this thing seems like it will be pretty low profile and flat to the wall. (The new room is considerably smaller) I'm going to purchase it ASAP. I'm tired of running to the kid's room every time I need something out of one of my precious cubes! (Panties, socks, etc.) Plus - I can sit cute decor on the top of it! How was your Monday? I'm going to be honest - mine was pretty darn foul!

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Lee County Fair

It's going to be a short and sweet post tonight. :) I am one super tired mama! We took the kids to the fair this fine evening and I have a few cute photos that I want to share with you guys. 

The nice "carnival man" was kind enough to let Silas post for a picture on the mechanical bull. Believe it or not - this is the first one of these bulls I have ever seen. Shocking right? I mean I live in Alabama...come on. ;)

I love this one of my dad and Miri. She loves her PaPa Buzz. :)

I hope everybody has a spectacular Saturday! I'm going to try to do two more posts this weekend!

Difficult Decisions / Biscotti & Kate Mack Dress Feature :)

Ok folks - I'm going to break it down for you. Firstly, I'm going to apologize for my lack of posts. (Sorry y'all!) There...that's over and done with. Secondly, I'm going to get really serious for a minute. And...go... I've been thinking a lot lately about my portraits. I think it is high time for me to make a very difficult decision in regards to my business. Now that I have an (awesome) full-time job...I no longer feel the need to bust my tail drawing all of the time. (16+ hours for $25-35 free shipping) I've reached the point that drawing has become more of a chore than a time that I enjoy. When I get home at 5 o'clock I shouldn't have to worry about getting a drawing finished within a time frame that I promised. (etc) I should be able to throw some pajamas on and play with my children. Then I can leisurely write my blog after I get them tucked in bed at night. I should "want" to paint Miri a (My Little Pony) painting for her room. I shouldn't want to purchase it off Etsy because I'm sick of painting. (Sigh) So...I have decided to stop selling my art for the time being. I am working on the last portrait right now. I want to sincerely thank everybody that has purchased my work. You helped keep this former stay at home mom (financially) going. You helped fund many family dinners and other necessities. For all of this...I am grateful. I hope everybody understands.  Thirdly - on a much lighter note...I want to talk about Miri's new dress lol! 

Urban Garden Long Sleeve Baby Dress in Pink

by Baby Biscotti & Kate Mack $72 ♥

It's simply precious right? Words cannot even describe! I wish you guys could reach through the computer screen and feel how nice this little dress really is. It does not feel like your typical poorly made infant dress from Walmart. This little beauty has some weight to it and you can really see what kind of care Biscotti & Kate Mack puts into making these outfits. This particular dress is available in 12, 18, and 24 months. Miri is modeling the 12 month size...she will be 9 months on the 18th...so I personally feel like they run a tad small.

This particular dress is perfect for Fall. When it gets a little colder I plan on pairing some plain white leggings with it. :) Maybe some little grey shoes? 

Now there's a happy face! ;)

You can rest assured that your baby is stylin' and profilin' when she is wearing clothing by Biscotti & Kate Mack. Many of their styles have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Women's Wear Daily, Vogue Bambini, US Weekly, and Child Magazine - just to name a few. Oh - and this brand is a favorite among stars like Katie Holmes, Victoria Beckham, and Heidi Klum. Malia Obama actually wore a red Biscotti dress on her father's election night! How crazy awesome is that? I actually remember seeing it! 

(Strike a post vogue...vogue...vogue)

Do yourself a favor...

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Review | Butter than Love Hair Whipped by Wonder Curl

Butter than Love Hair Whipped by Wonder Curl

$12.00 ♥

When I was a teenager I had beautiful spiral curls. I did not appreciate them at all. In fact, I did everything in my power to get rid of them lol. I wanted straight hair so badly...

Well, I finally got my wish. After I had Silas - my hair slowly began to lose it's curl. Since Miri arrived...it only has a slight bit of wave to it. :/ I like this and all...it's just that I don't exactly know what to do with such straight hair. I'm finding it very challenging to style it. Ponytails are nice...but I can't wait for it to get a little longer so it doesn't look so darn stupid. I think braids will eventually be my friend too. ;)

With all of this said...I still hold out hope that some miracle product will come along and raise my curls from the dead. (Zombie curls) Unfortunately, today's product worked no miracles for me. :( It did curl my sisters hair quite nicely though! So there lol! The model in the photo (above) is my little sister India. India seemed to really enjoy using the Butter than Love Hair Whipped. It's very nourishing. Her only complaint is that she found the smell a bit unpleasant. This only means that the formula doesn't include harsh perfumes though. After further research - unless I am misunderstanding something...this hair line is more geared towards African American ladies. Maybe that's why it didn't do anything particularly special for my sister's locks? ;) The "Hair Whipped" has a nice thick consistency that I'm sure would tame coarser hair beautifully. I really believe that it just depends on the person's hair type. In our case...it's not the best product for curl enhancement. But hey...it may be great for your hair? Wonder Curl makes quality products that I definitely want people to check out. 

----> See their entire product line here <----

Photo credit: wondercurl.com

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Update 9/23/13 Response from Wonder Curl

Wonder Curl Thanks for your review. I think you probably would have loved the Get Set Hair Jelly and/or the Butter than Love Pudding. These products are my best sellers and work great together or on their own for any hair texture. You are correct, the Whipped is thicker for coarse, dry hair.

Holiday Feature | Circle of Friends - Rosa's Raspberry Shampoo & Conditioner

Rosa's Raspberry Shampoo $11.40 for 10oz ♥

Rosa's Raspberry Conditioner  $11.40 for 10oz ♥

Both are available at cofbath.com and at these retail locations

(Silas's foot not included)

Comes in several different scents: Pineapple, Banana, and Boy-mix Fragrances! 

The set (above) is a limited-time only holiday gift set that comes with a free pairs of antlers for your child! :)

(The set has a $24.20 SRP)

As crazy as it sounds - Christmas is right around the corner. Seriously, where did 2013 go y'all? It has been kinda a crappy year (w/ the exception of baby Miri being born) for my family...so I say good riddance. 0_0 November is quickly approaching, and this means...(dun-dun-dun) holiday shopping. (Don't most people start Christmas shopping in November?) Any-who...if you have lots of friends with kiddos. (Like we do) I have a pretty stinkin' cute holiday feature to share with you tonight. It's made by people over at "Circle of Friends." 

Circle of Friends was founded by Moms! How awesome is that? :) They have made it their personal mission to create a professional hair-care, bath, and body line for children. All while introducing them to different styles and cultures. (Ooo educational!) Each product in the hair line is represented by a cute character from a different part of the world. (This set introduced us to Rosa! She lives in Spain) So your child can shampoo and learn something new at the same time! (Huzzahh!) 

Silas and I absolutely love this stuff. I was a bit worried when I read that the formula is "low sudsing." I didn't find that to be to case at all. It actually foamed up quite nicely! Silas really likes that the shampoo and conditioner are both "tearless." No kid likes soap that stings the eyes - these details are important! Personally - my favorite thing about this line is the raspberry scent, it's simply amazing. (The whole bathroom smells nice after we use it)  The raspberry reminds me of a shampoo that I used to use when I was little. (Oh-so-fond memories) I can't remember what is was called though? Hmmm.

I'm sure many of you are aware that Silas has flaming red hair lol. It's really gorgeous...but it's also very dry. This shampoo/conditioner set makes it much more manageable to deal with! It seems to be significantly improving the amount of frizz that I have to deal with each morning. (Johnson & Johnson products tend to be very drying) We have to try and tame his wild hair or Ya-Ya get's very fussy with me when I drop him off. (Haha) Both of these products are safe and gentle, packed full of vitamins and proteins, and they are never tested on animals. A detangler is also available in this scent! :)

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A cute photo from Silas' birthday party on this past Sunday. :)

Snapshot | Monday

Snapshot | Saturday

I thought that since this weekend is a fabulous (much needed) three day weekend - I would do a photo post each day. We slept till almost 1pm lol, so today's entry won't have too many pictures. (We were so tired) Our Saturday has been all about relaxing, homemade pizzas, corn hole, and various adult beverages. It has been glorious. How is your weekend going so far? :)