A new dining room table

After buying our house last month I searched and searched for the perfect dining room table and came up totally empty handed. I literally spent days on the computer looking for something that would serve our family well, but that was cute and stylish. No one wants an ugly dining room table. Especially when you can see it when you walk in the front door.

My biggest problem was the size of our dining room. I don't know if you could call it a 'room' over-say... maybe more like a dining area. It is tiny. And then theres the master bedroom door right smack dab in the way! Who designs these houses anyway?

You can see from right here just how tiny the area is with our old table. And this pic didn't even include the leaf that made it bigger!

My biggest problem during the whole search was the quality of the products and price. These sites wanted an arm and a leg for compressed wood that never stands up to anything much less a house full of boys. I needed real wood! Solid wood that can withstand meltdowns, spills, pocket knives and crashing hot wheels. Do you know how hard that is to find? So after almost calling it quits I decided to search Pinterest for ideas and it was staring at me. Right there on the screen. 

Build yourself a pipe leg table!

How did I not think of this before? It couldn't be that hard right? I mean it is just some wood and pipe screwed together.

Well let me tell you... It was so easy! And I even decided to make a bench to match! I swear if I can make something that looks like this then anyone can make one! And not only was it cheaper than buying a new table, but I have a feeling that is way sturdier than anything I could buy in a store. 

I still need to sand the rough edges and decide whether I am going to stain it or not, but the family and I are already enjoying eating at this table made with love.

I will post in the next few days all the details of the table and how you can make your own :)

P.s. The metal chairs are from Target and we love them! And we got rid of the ugly red walls! Yay!

GET IN MY BELLY!

Yesterday at lunch as I was looking over the menu I found ceviche. It's like one of my fave foods! Beyond excited I went to order and the waitress told me that even though it was on the menu they had not been making it for quite some time. My first thought was to politely give her my second option and then wonder what the hell? If it is on the menu I am a firm believer that you need to get to makin it! That is toying with peoples emotions for crying out loud! 

So naturally I decided to make it myself. 

It has been years since I have made any form of ceviche but I remembered the basics. I really wish I had some sort of fish on hand, but I didn't so it was gonna be loaded with tons of shrimp! and the best thing about this recipe is that it is so light, refreshing AND it is healthy! I have been snacking on it all day. 

I will tell ya to be careful when it comes to the jalapeño and serrano peppers though. I don't know what they are normally like where all of y'all are from but around here sometimes you get them and they are like an odd shaped bell pepper. Absolutely no heat at all! Then there are the times that you get them and WHAM! It's so dang hot your teeth are on fire. 

1 to 1.5 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp

1 avocado

1 jalapeno

1 serrano pepper

1 cucumber, peeled

1 cup red onion

1/2 cup of lime juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 bunch of cilantro

Salt

Start by getting your water on the stove and put over medium-high heat. Have a medium size bowl next to the stove with some ice water ready for when you pull the shrimp out. 

Finely dice your jalapeño, serrano and red onion. Next dice your cucumber and avocado into small chunks. Chop up the cilantro really good and add everything to a large bowl. 

Next juice your lemons and limes. I used a citrus juicer to make sure that I got out every bit of juice I could. It took me about two of each. Add to the bowl.

Add your shrimp to your boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until pink. Immediately add to the ice water and let cool completely. 

Once the shrimp is cool, drain and cut to where you end up with 4 pieces of shrimp. 

Mix everything together and season with salt. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to allow flavors to marinade together. 

Serve with tortilla chips or eat right out of the bowl! 

this rut i'm in

Here I sit.

In the doorway of my closet because I really don't feel like taking the laundry all the way across the house to be washed.

Instead I am going to sit here and talk about the damned style rut that has been plauging me for months! All day I have been going through my closet seeing if there is anything that can be turned into a cute outfit. Surprisingly, thanks to Pinterest I have a lot more to work with than I thought! Who would have known?

I sure as hell wouldn't! I never really dressed to impress before, but since we moved to small town america I have just felt like what is the point?? Who am I gonna see that is gonna care if I am wearing my house shoes in the middle of the day? Or that I am probably wearing the same shirt as I did the day before? It was clean enough right. The only time I actually see people is when I go get the mail or I have to run to the corner market. There is that occasional night I go up to my husbands shop and hang out and drink beer... Lets get real tho... they really don't care about what I look like. And worst case scenerio they will just tell people that I looked like a hobo that say. No biggie.

But I will confess... I AM SICK OF WEARING YOGA PANTS ALL THE TIME!!! Even my husband is sick of seeing me in those black stretchy pants! Maybe I could just start wearing black leggings and argue that it really is clothes and not workout clothes. Just a thought.

I think the biggest part of not putting on real clothes is because I have no reason to put on real clothes. My cat isn't that hard to impress and is it really worth it to get all dolled up just so you can wipe up pee from the toilet seat in the kids bathroom?

I would like to tell you no. It's not worth it. But in reality it is. I have noticed that when I put on a nice pair of skinny jeans and a cute top that fits (that is a whole nother' blog post) I really feel better about myself and the day seems to be a lot better in general. It is really nice to not feel like a frumpy stay at home every now and then.

So if you are feeling like there is no point to get up and dressed because you have nothing to do and no one to see, take it from me IT IS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT! Even if you plan on doing dishes or a load of laundry. Throw on some lipstick and a cute top and get after it. You will be surprised by how much it alters your outlook on the day.

Here are a few casual, nothing too fancy outfit ideas I got from the things that I have hiding in my closet...

(all images via Pinterest)

Tipsy Tuesday

This week I wanted to start off on the right foot so naturally that meant with a yummy cocktail recipe!

Lately I have been trying to stay away from beer because all it seems to do is make me a little more fluffy around the mid-section than I would like. I mean really. Why can they not make a beer that taste great with fewer carbs and calories? Because I will tell you that 'healthier beer' is not making the cut! 

So instead of being sad that I am not drinking beer I decided to raid the liquor cabinet and get to working on some new drinks to enjoy.

First up is one of my favorites. I have had it any times while out and there is this one place that makes the absolute best! It is Charleston's in Edmond if you are ever in the area and looking for some great food and an amazing drink! And that amazing drink is the...

MEXICAN MARTINI

Now, I am sure that there are a million ways to make these, but I was sure to ask the bartender at the restaurant what was in his and wrote it down on my napkin of all things. I have now put my own spin on it because I did not have all of the ingredients but I think that it came out just as delicious.

You will need:

3 oz Tequila  (I use Patron or Pura Vida for just about everything)

1.5 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec

1.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice

A splash of olive brine

Lime wedges and olives

Take your martini glass and salt the rim. Then add all of your ingredients to a shaker with a few cubes of ice and give it a few shakes. Strain into your glass and garnish with some olives and a lime wedge.

There you go! That is it. So simple to make and wonderful to drink with some great Mexican food or while you watch The Gourmet Detective on the Hallmark Channel like I do : D

10 months 3 weeks and 6 days

(just a little fyi this is back dated so I can play catch up with what I had started)

HAPPY NEW YEAR Y'ALL! 

It has been a long time since I have blogged and I am ready to jump back in the saddle. I have so missed reading all my favorite blogs and sharing all of life's joyful messy adventures. This past year has flew by and so many things have changed! Oh so many!

I am super excited to say that we started of this year as NEW HOMEOWNERS!!

So there will be plenty of blogging going on with DIY stuff and home decor as well as all the crazy stuff that goes on with living the small town life :)

I do want to take a minute to let y'all know this man right here has put up with so much and I am so so so thankful that he is willing to do life with me and put up with all my craziness and provide for us like he does! 

Living Room Makeover

I never thought in a million years that I would be sitting here staring at my living room walls and planning all the things that I was going to hang on them. 

We bought our house almost 10 years ago from an older couple who left the house exactly how it was when it was built. Carpet and all. So when we moved in the only thing new in the house was the kitchen countertops and sink. They were still not my favorite, but I couldn't complain. The living room was probably the worst. Not only was it the first thing that you saw when you walked through the front door, but to me it was ugly! 

Over the years I was able to talk my husband into letting me do little things here and there. Then there were times that I would do stuff while he was at work and just let it be a surprise for him when he got home. Then last year I was finally able to talk him into letting me hire someone to come and redo the walls and buy me new floors. 

I don't think the room is anywhere near complete and I plan on changing it some more, but for now I am happy and like spending time in the room I was once disgusted by. So here is a little walk down memory lane with me while I show you what my living room once was compared to what it is today. 

Over the Years

Now

Linking to: Savvy Southern Style WOW Us Wednesday

Just a few pictures from the last couple of months...

We went from winter snow...

(eating snow ice cream before school)

... to Spring like weather in a matter of days!

I {heart} Jo Totes!

I did it again! I ordered myself a new camera bag for Christmas. If you know me at all you know that a camera bag is the last thing I need for Christmas. But to be honest I asked Santa for a new camera this year. Yes, I am holding out for a better camera. I really wanted the Mark, but in all reality I am going to have to save my money for that bad boy. So I asked Santa for the new Canon EOS 70D with 18-135mm lens. It would be a huge upgrade from my Canon T2i but not as pricey as the Mark.

Anyhoo, back on topic...

As you can see from here and here and here and here I really don't need any more camera bags, but they are just so darn cute and functional that I can't help myself sometimes. And I am particularly drawn to the Jo Totes camera bags. I'm not sure if it is because the Rose was my first or not, but they are just so comfortable to carry and are so roomy.

This time when I started looking for a camera bag I wanted something that I could carry with me everywhere and that would not only my camera, but all my other stuff too. So I read review after review, blog after blog and countless pictures. 

And then I found her.

I found the Jo Totes Gracie in Mint. Originally I wanted the Missy in Mint but thought that she would be too big for my day to day use. So I waited patiently for my very special delivery to arrive.... 

It arrived this morning at 6:37am. Yes, I said AM. I'm not complaining though. They were really nice and just left it on my doorstep for me to find after I took the boys to school. Best way to start your day. 

As I tore open the box. Carefully of course. I noticed that the bag shape was slightly off.

When I opened the dust bag I was surprised to see inside was the Missy in Mint! Not the Gracie. And you know what... she was beautiful! I swear the pictures do not do this bag justice. 

I do want to take a minute and tell you all how helpful Jo Totes was with the mixup. I contacted them this morning about it via email and they responded very quickly. After I explained the situation they emailed me back and told me that they were going to be sending out the right bag right away. It's companies and people like that that restore your fait in humanity and let you know that there are still companies that care about their customers. I CAN NOT THANK THEM ENOUGH FOR THEIR GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! I HIGHLY recommend Jo Totes and they will be my first choice the next time I am needing a new camera bag!

There is so much room on the inside. It has pockets on both sides, a place to put your iPad, laptop or whatever you need it for. Personally I will be using it for my planner since my iPad is older than my grandma. 

It came with 5 dividers. I am sure that I will rearrange this a million times before I find the perfect one, but for now this is the way I left it. There is plenty of room for my camera, an extra lens (50mm f/1.4), my wallet, planner and anything else I decide to throw in on the go.

A little bit of Christmas

This morning Tyler was up at 3:15am. Yes, AM!

He had dressed himself, made his and his brothers lunches, picked up his mess, brushed his teeth and was ready for school. He then decided I needed to wake up because he was ready to go to school. 

If only he had this enthusiasm everyday. *sigh* Most days are a struggle to even get him to do his homework so I will take the good days when I can get them and just pray that they come along more ofter. 

When I tried telling him that he was going to be tired come this afternoon he responded by telling me that he took a little nap so he was going to be good to go. Haha. The things that boy comes up with. 

Once I had all the kiddos dropped at school I was able to get a head start on my day. I finished my Christmas shopping, wrapped all my presents, picked up the house and even made a delicious soup for lunch! Go me! 

Now that I feel somewhat accomplished I thought it would be a good time to show off some of my holiday decor! 

My living room and mantle

My lovely leopard 'tree skirt'. I couldn't find a tree skirt that I liked so a couple of years ago I bought some leopard fabric and I just wrap it around the bottom of my tree. It's not fancy, but I love it!

A few of our fave ornaments...

Our coffee table centerpiece. It looks really pretty here, but my cat has knocked off half the berried and likes to scratch the candle. I think next year I am due for a new centerpiece. 

they look so grown up!

a little bit of halloween

Can you believe that Halloween is just a little over a week away?

This year I am looking forward to a low key time with my boys and friends. 

Plus, this year it is going to be a little hard with it being my dad's birthday and my dads favorite holiday so I am just wanting to relax with the people that I love. I am hoping that they will help take my mind off the fact that he is not here with us this year. 

But one thing I did do this year that I have never done is decorate my front walkway! 

I know, it is pretty exciting right? I thought so too!

Short hair, Don't care!

Last week my long awaited hair appt. arrived. I had no idea what I was going to do!

Did I want to stay blonde? Do I cut it? Did I just want to shave my head?

These were some of the questions I had been asking myself for two weeks. But when it came down to it and I sat down in that chair I knew exactly what to do :)

Here I was a couple of weeks ago at a charity cook off.

(Sorry for the bad pic. It was really bad lighting)

In the chair...

***THE BIG REVEAL***

Before and After

Did my child really say that?

As much as I wanted to post about our lovely Fall weather, today I am going to get real and pour out my confused, broken heart.

Jacob, my third grader has had a rough couple of years at school.  He is a very emotional child that is extremely tender hearted and tends to overreact in certain situations. On top of all of that he has had a very, very rough time making friends. I have tried helping him but he can be overwhelming for some kids.

Everything got so bad last week and he got so upset that he told his teacher that he wanted to kill himself with a pencil.

Now, a few days after I have let it all set in and gone through every emotion imaginable I see where he was overreacting and lashing out for attention. But sadly, the effects of the statement have not gone away. The school takes these kinds of things very seriously and he does not quite understand why they are making it seem like he is crazy. Knowing my son I do not feel like he is going to harm himself in any way.

There are just so many questions running through my mind. What am I supposed to do or say in a situation like this? Are we not doing enough to show him we love him?

These are a few of the questions that I have been asking myself this last weekend. My mind is like mush. At his appointment today with his pediatrician they suggested that he see a psychiatrist and we discuss him being medicated. See my mind is pure mush. I don't think that medicating him is going to solve these problems. And I definitely don't want him to think that anytime you have a problem that we just mask it with pills. Is that wrong?

As a mother it breaks my heart to see my child so upset. I would give anything to help him make friends and take away his pain. And I definitely don't want people to think that he is crazy!

I guess one of the reasons I am writing this is hoping that there is someone out there that has been through the same thing and has some advice for me.

Another school year has begun...

Today was the boys 1st day of school.

Normally on the first day of school after I drop off the kids I go back home and do a happy dance. But this year. I am sad that summer is officially over. O-V-E-R. I feel like we didn't get to do as much this summer as we have in summers past. It's like time flew by and we completely missed it.

I might be grasping at straws here but my boys are growing up way too fast. Jacob is still to little to be a 3rd grader. I mean is that even possible? And Tyler. I just dropped him off at his first day of Kindergarten. There is no way he is a 1st grader. This mama is just so sad that her babies are growing up. I don't even want to think about what the teenage years are going to be like.

This year I am super excited for my boys. They have great teachers and some kids in their classes that they know.  But mostly this year I pray that Jacob has a much better year than he did last year. It was hard on all of us, but I know it was really hard on him. Being teased and made fun of is no easy thing to go through. He is such a sweet boy and I pray that he finds his place and some great friends.