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!