Welcome to Texas

Well I haven't done a room reveal this week so here we go.

The first impression of our house was a little blah. It was a cute house but needed a little pizzazz; everything was just so white. Don't get me wrong white can be amazing and clean looking but our white was just dirty. My inner DIYer started yelling PAINT, PAINT, PAINT so thats exactly what I decided to do!

Like the start of all DIY projects I turned to pinterest and google for some inspiration. I knew I wanted some sort of blue I just wasn't sure if I wanted something on the darker or the brighter side of the spectrum. I dragged Andrew to Lowes after church on Sunday (something that is becoming a weekly date) and picked a few color swatches.  I was trying to get some help from the him but his suggestions were, Camo, Tech Bulldog, Bright Red, and an American flag: None of these suggestions went with my vision so I quickly allowed him to wander and look at something else while I chose 3 or 4 color options.

I started by taping color swatches to the door and that just wasn't cutting it. I couldn't stand at the street and get the real idea of what the door would look like with a one by one square taped to the it.
So I took a leap...I picked my favorite color, bought a quart of it and wished for the best because I painted it directly on the door then stepped back to admire my work.

The hubby didn't even notice until I pointed the color change out but when he gave me the ok I got busy painting the rest of it this beautiful turquoise color.

Overall I love the way it turned out. Much happier, brighter, and our style!

H54F # 1

Today I am doing my very first link up ever!  For those of you who have found my little blog through the link-up WELCOME; I am so excited you have stopped by. A little background on the blog is I started it when I got engaged to keep the family up-to-date on all the plans and it has really just evolved.   I hope you like what you see and come back and visit again soon!

For those of you that have no idea what H54F (High five for Friday) is it is all about taking a quick glance and your week and remembering your favorite parts.

So here we go...

1. We had such a great time hanging out with both of my cousins and their babes this weekend. It is so fun to be around all the kiddos but it makes Andrew and I very glad we don't have any of our own just yet! I love that we share the same love for Mexican and I can always count on a Guadalajara trip when they are in town (trips to Guadalajara will ALWAYS  make my top 5 list!!)

2. It was the first time for us to have friends over to dinner since we moved to Texas. I loved getting to bust out all our wedding gifts, even the good napkins!  The boys were very nervous to use the napkins at first but I assured them that wiping messy hands are just what they are meant for! I mean that's why washing machines were invented...right?!

3. After all the texts and comments on facebook and instagram  I think choice two is the winner, winner, chicken dinner! I feel so relived that a decision has been made and I can't wait to wear it tomorrow. I promise to post a picture so you can see the look on!

4. I am very proud of these social media icons. I downloaded them for free here and then hoped over here for the best instructions on how to make them work!  The email one is still being difficult but I think my blog has come a long way these last few weeks

5. Chocolate Bark is like a little taste of Heaven. I am a sweet lover for sure and there are not may sweets I won't eat, but this stuff is just delicious. The Smith's had it at their house and it's like an air filled crisp brownie; ok I know it sounds strange but it is hard to explain. All I do know is I could have eaten my weight in this stuff and will be finding out the recipe asap.  When I do I promise I will share it because everyone should experience this chocolate bark at least once in your life.

Thanks Meg for encouraging me to link up! Happy Friday Everyone!

Maroon....I DON'T OWN MAROON!

After yesterday's post I hope everyone understand how much I love college football! This year I am blessed enough to attend one of the fist college games (#8 on Time Brando's top 10 games to watch): Mississippi State vs. #13 Oklahoma State. It is this Saturday at 2 but the best part is that the game is in Houston! Andrew's cousins (more like brothers), Price and Jesse, both went to Mississippi State so when we found out the game was in Houston we knew it would be the best excuse for everyone to come for a visit.  The whole Donahoo clan will take Houston by storm on Friday and will keep the party rolling through the holiday weekend! 

Andrew and I have been counting down the days until they arrive for what seems like months now. I was so very excited until last week when we got THE text message from Jesse -- "I hope you have your maroon ready!"

I froze in our living room and started going through my closet rolodex in my brian. Then in a slew of curse words I realized the only thing maroon I own is a pair of jeans and lets be honest it is way to hot for jeans. Panic set it... I knew Mary Margaret and Laurel were going to look so cute and I didn't want to stick out. I mean they both went to State so I know their closets are full of cute maroon dresses and game day attire. Panic is in full blown, melt down mode at this moment! Andrew assured me that I could find something in my closet but when my reaction wasn't the best he quickly reassured me he was "sure somewhere in The Woodlands had something we [could] buy!" My man knows me so well.  

We had a busy weekend which didn't leave much time for shopping and so Monday was the perfect day. I had a doctor's appointment and then was determined to find something maroon.  I went to Marshalls Home Goods and got to work.  I honestly found some of the cutest things.  I walked away with some maroon items but also a pair of Michael Kors skinny jeans, 3 shirts (that aren't maroon), some halloween cocktail napkins, and a mercury glass pumpkin -- I know it's a hodgepodge of items but the bottom fell out when I was shopping so I had to pass the time till the rain stopped somehow.

Yesterday I rounded out the outfits with some jewelry from Charming Charlie and spent the day putting things together. Here are the options:

Option One:

    - I already owned the tank top -- Target

                                       black skirt -- Forever21 

                                       cowboy boots -- Cavenders -- Ariat

    - Shear Shirt -- Marshalls -- 12.99

    - Gold and Red Necklace -- Charming Charlie -- 13.00

    - Gold Necklace -- Charming Charlie --  13.00

 Option Two:

    - I already owned the black skirt -- Forever21 

                                       cowboy boots -- Cavenders -- Ariat

    - Maroon Shirt -- Marshalls -- 9.99

    - Gold Necklace -- Charming Charlie --  13.00

 Option Three:

    - I already owned the white lace dress -- Target 

                                       cowboy boots -- Cavenders -- Ariat

    - Gold and Red Necklace -- Charming Charlie --  13.00

    - Gold Necklace --  Charming Charlie --  13.00

I think I have three pretty solid choices that look really cute on AND that didn't break our bank.  I think the key to planning outfits is to add a little new to a little old.  It's a way to update your wardrobe (or get ready for a football game) on a budget!

Now to the hard part -- deciding. So what's your favorite look...One, Two or Three?

Fall is coming! Fall is coming!

I hope you are reading this title in your best Paul Revere impersonation. I know it may not feel like fall in the least bit outside but football season is quickly approaching and nothing says fall in the south like a little collage game day.

I remember growing up waiting for that day in August when that purple and gold envelope would arrive at the house via UPS. In my most dramatic voice (usually waring my LSU cheerleading outfit even though my dream was to be a Golden Girl) I would announce to my Dad that the season tickets had arrived and I was ready for my first game.

I have grown up watching and loving the game: yelling at the TV with your Dad when your growing up creates a bond that is irreplaceable. And going to the games with your family,tailgating all day, sitting on your dads shoulders waiting for the band to come down,  sitting in that stadium watching your team can not even be described. I think no matter the team your watching, when you grow up doing it....it's just in your blood, your heart.

My dad's heart broke a little bit 6 years ago when I chose LA Tech even though he will never admit it. He will also never admit that he liked LA Tech much better just because of the distance but thats beside the point.

Today I felt like that little girl in August. We received this in the mail from Andrew's dad.

Inside it had a plethora of goodies...

So although the team has changed the feeling hasn't. Yes, I can no longer sit on my dad's shoulders to watch the band but I can be home with my family, tailgate, and cheer on my team. The arrival of the goodies brings a rush of old memories and a flutter in my heart knowing new memories are soon to be made.

Hopefully we have a successful year but if not it's ok...I will still love my bulldogs!  Everyone hop over here and see what Tim Brando has to say about games this Saturday. Personally I can't wait to watch #7 on top games to watch on Saturday.

Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday; I'm going to go call my dad now...this post has me feeling sentimental.

Baby Talk

It all started when we were still engaged. All in one breath people would ask about the wedding then proceed to ask about when we were going to start having babies.  I thought it was just a small town thing and laughed it off but after the wedding it has gotten worse. Most conversations go like this:

Them: How is married life treating ya?

Me: Great! We love it so much especially since we're finally settled in Texas.

Them: Well, do we see babies in the near future?

Me: Um...no, my cousins just had babies and although they are great we are not ready for ones of our own. We're just enjoying the freedom and being married right now.

Them: (huge frown) Well honey you don't want to wait to long.

Me: (wanting to roll my eyes and yell  that i'm only 23 but don't) So...whats being going on with you? (or any change in conversation I can make seem as natural as possible)

Yes Andrew and I want to have a family with lots of little kids.Yes we don't want to wait till we are 40 to start our family but we are not ready for kids right now.  We are enjoying being married and figuring out our life here in Texas and thats OK.

I think as women we are so quick to judge other women.  We judge what they ware, the hair style they have, who they date, how much they weigh, the bag they carry, the car they drive and pretty much every single aspect of their life. Instead of judging we should respect that every woman is different. Some 23 year olds are ready to be parents and that is great but I'm not that girl: It dosen't mean either one of us is wrong it just means we're different.

We need to focus on supporting and building up each other vs. being judgmental. After all, We all feel pressure in some sense of our life. It might not be to start a family but maybe to loose the baby weight (or the freshman 15).  So next time your going to judge or criticize something about their life just think how you might feel and cut them a little slack; you don't know what battle she might be fighting.

laundry room

My first room revel is going to be my lovely laundry room. I know it is a strange room to revel first but I am really proud of it!!

Laundry is totally the pits. I mean who honestly loves to do laundry...no one. And most laundry rooms are so ugly: the lighting is bad, they are full of wire shelving that everything falls through and there is just not enough storage.

Well our laundry room was no different and the worst part is its location in our house; it's like we can't avoid peering into this room when we get home. It is directly to the right when you walk in the front door so if the laundry room door isn't closed (which most of the time it isn't) you see right into it. And if you come into the house through the garage you walk right into the laundry room. YUCK! 

So I started day dreaming about laundry rooms like this...

Photo courtesy Houzz

or like this...

Photo courtesy DecorPad

And then I was brought back to reality that my laundry room was no were near as spacious or beautiful.

My laundry room was small, had one shelf that was to high for me to even reach on my own and an awkward row of hooks that were HIDEOUS!! I turned to pinterst to find a little inspiration, asked the hubby for some help and set the day for our laundry room redo.

We got all the matriels for this redo at three stores: Lowes, Garden Ridge, and Home Goods. We went to Lowes for the wood, nails and paint, Garden Ridge for a new rug and some accessories, and then Home Goods for some baskets and a lamp. Lowes is a great resource if you don't have a lot of tools already. Andrew thought he was going to get out of this little project because we didn't have a saw to cut the wood into the length we needed...good thing I did some research and found that Lowes cuts it into pieces for FREE!

After we brought all our pieces of wood home I painted them white to make the shelf look cleaner.  And get this...I used spray paint. It was quick, cheep, mess free, and did a great job! After the paint dried by lovely hubby hung my shelf!

You will need a level and drill for this part.

Then It was all up to me...I got in there and got busy. I organized the ugly things like detergent and dryer sheets into baskets and did a little decorating.  All in all I am so happy with how it turned out. It is much brighter and looks like it fits in our home now.

The best part is this whole project took less than an hour (not including waiting for the paint to dry) and was under 150 dollars for everything!

Happy Friday everyone and I hope you have a fun-filled weekend ahead! We're getting to spend time with my cousins and their beautiful babes and couldn't be more excited!

Our New Home

I talked yesterday finding our new home in Texas and now I wanted to share some pictures. Excuse the Iphone pictures, we weren't really expecting to find anything we like well enough to take any photos so my camera stayed at home.

This is the front of our super cute house. One of my favorite things is the attached garage.

This is the view of the living room from the master bedroom.  The light on in the picture is in the guest bedroom. We have a split floor plan which is really nice.

This is our master....It is a great size with awesome big windows to the back yard. Andrew loves that it has carpet in it.

Our master bath with double sinks and a separate potty room.  I really like it but miss a big bathtub. 

We have two guest rooms and this is the small one of the two and is a good size for guest. I didn't take a picture of the second one...sorry.

Guest Bath and the only bathtub in the house.

This is our kitchen from the dinning room perspective. It's really nice and is a great layout.

Our backyard. We are loving the deck and working on keeping the grass alive. Lilly especially loves laying back here.

So here are all the before pictures. I will be doing home post in the next month featuring each room in our home and how it looks now. To say we have been busy decorating, painting, and redoing is an understatement and I can't wait to share it with yall.

Hope everyone has a great Thursday and just think....it's almost the weekend!

xoxo,

amber

Family...

When I found out we were moving I had this idealistic idea of what it was going to be like. We were going to get in the car, drive down to The Woodlands find our dream rental house in one weekend then return to Ruston to finish packing up all our belongs. Well things did not work out that way.

We came down and met with a realtor and thought we found our dream town home but the more we thought about it the more we decided we are not really town home people. Andrew could not stop thinking about the three kids we were going to share our master bedroom wall with and trying to move our furniture up not one but two flights of stairs, with a landing and I could not stop thinking about the lack of parking when we had guest over. Although it's only just the two of us and Lilly we like space, we have the furniture and were both used to a good size home. So although our realtor was aggravated we wanted to keep looking and look at some houses that were in our budget.

We returned to Ruston, disappointed but hopeful we could come down another weekend a find our dream home for real this time.  Well things just don't happen as planned.  The Woodlands, the area we moved into, is really booming right now. Big companies are moving in which is really affecting the housing market, rental properties are gone the day they are put on the market and it was near impossible to find something 5 hours away. By the time we found the home, looked at the pictures and planned a weekend trip to come down it was gone. If we had to we could have done a video tour and rented something without even seeing it first but Andrew and I just weren't comfortable with that especially when we a place we could stay.

My Aunt Harriet and Uncle Steve have lived in The Woodlands my entire life. They moved here before I was even born from Lafayette and have been here ever sense. I have always been very close with them; we vacationed with them and their two girls (my cousins who are more like sisters and who I have often talked about on the blog) and always dis the holidays together.  It's a running joke that I am my Aunt's third daughter that she never had: we're just a close family and very lucky.

A little flashback photo

Well...They have a beautiful home with 3 empty bedrooms upstairs that they kept saying we were welcome to just incase.  Now when your family offers you to stay with them you can't say yes...I mean they probably really don't want you there they just have to offer because they are your family but my Aunt and Uncle are different: they really meant it. So like total loons we finally said ok, after loosing the 5th rental house we like, packed all our belongs, moved them into a storage unit, and moved in with The Wilson's.

I promised we wouldn't be there long and actively went on the house hunt. I was so lucky that my cousin, Rachel, and Aunt Harriett were in town to help me look a different properties while Andrew worked.  We only looked at houses one day and our fifth and final house was a winner.  It was in a great area, towards the front which is where we wanted to be to help cut down on Andrew's commute, had a fenced yard for Lil and my dinning room table would fit!  We all loved it but I wanted the OK from Andrew. I called him 15 times and when I couldn't get him I told our realtor, "well take it!"

We turned in our application that day and later found out that 3 other applications were on the table.  Keep in mid that the property came on the market THAT DAY! We found out two days later that we got the house and we got the keys June 15th.  It was awesome to have our own place but a little bitter sweet not to just be right upstairs from two people I love dearly.

We are so grateful for all the help that my Aunt Harriett and Uncle Steve have given us these last few months. I have loved all the dinner dates, shopping trips, and vet recommendations. I can't wait for those to come in the future.  Andrew and I love you both so much and can't thank you enough.

Andrew and I are both so lucky to have families that love and care about us so much that they are always willing to help and support us.

We can't wait to make more memories...

xoxo

am

The job I'm good at....

As most of you know last year I had by dream job. I taught kindergarten with the most amazing team at a low income school. It was one of the most challenging things I have ever done but I wouldn't have changed one thing: I made a difference and in this big world thats all I really want to do. But then my life changed....we moved.We loaded up all of my classroom belongings, our house and headed over to Texas.

My personality is a busy body. I like to have a project and always something to do therefore just staying at home while Andrew worked was out of the question. Yes, Andrew has a great job that would allow me to stay home if that was what we need but honestly I can only do so many home improvement projects, and paint so many pieces of furniture until I get board...I need to work, I need to teach.

As soon as we found out that we were for sure moving I started looking for information on what I needed to do to be able to teach here. Texas is a whole different ballgame when it comes to teaching and fortunately they don't really recognize any of my Louisiana credentials (hope you hear the sarcasm in my voice). I applied for a temporary certification that would allow me to teach for a year but with the understanding that during that year I must take two more teaching test..no big deal. The funny part is that to gain a Louisiana teaching certificate if you posses a Texas certification all you do is pay a fee...way to go Louisiana.

Well school starts a week from today and who still doesn't have a teaching position...this girl.  I have applied to a ton of schools for a ton of different positions and I'm sure principals are getting tired of seeing my email address in their inbox but a girls got to be persistent right?! I've been totally fine about being on a job hunt...I kept saying I'll just sub and it will be fine which is true but who wants to sub when they have already had their own classroom...and thats when the discouragement set it.  I started doubting if I was supposed to teach and if I wasn't going to teach what was I going to do.  I was feeling really bummed then we went to church and the message was about overcoming discouragement
 though faith...Thank You God, I hear you.

I felt like it was the perfect sermon for me to hear and that the pastor was speaking directly to me.  We left church and I prayed that God would show me what he wants me to do this year.  The next day I got a call to be a nanny. I'm good at being a nanny, I like the flexibility of being a nanny, and I love not having to get dressed and do my hair everyday when I'm a nanny.

Liam, and the Smith family have been the biggest blessing in my life these past few weeks. Liam is such a ball of joy and so much fun. They are also going to be able to let me sub. during the school year to help get my name into the school system here.

So although it isn't my dream teaching job and it wasn't my plan it is a job I love and a job I am good at. I know that at this point in time it is what I am supposed to be doing and when it is my time to teach the perfect job will come along.  I am just feeling very grateful for where I am right now... sitting downstairs while Liam naps.

This is the song we have sang a few times at worship and I'm really loving and finding strength though it right now.

Happy Monday Everyone,

xoxo

amber

New Look....

Well as you can see the blog is getting a new look. I thought since I am turning over a new leaf with this whole blogging thing that a new look was needed.

When I decided to change things up I look to a fellow blogger, Meg over at Everyday Meg, for a little advice.  Her blog is very cute and I wanted mine to be cute too. I just wanted the name of the person who designed hers and then she told me something I wasn't expecting...SHE DID IT HERSELF!

So that got me to thinking that if she could do it so could I. So while Liam was napping (he's my new baby that I am nannying for but thats for another post) I did a little research via Google, downloaded some new app on my macbook and got busy. I knew I wanted a teal ombre included, and I wanted to use this really cute font I downloaded (download it here) but that was it. It was a lot of trail and error trying to get the sizes right but I think it came out pretty cute.

Although it is a work in progress, my goal was to have a new header and to make the blog easier to read and I think those two goals were accomplished.


I hope everyone had a great day and I leave you with the best commerical on TV right now...

xoxo,
am

The last 3 months in photos

We have been going non-stop since January, with showers and finalizing everything for the wedding and one would think that after the wedding is over, things slow down and the couple gets to live in this crazy wedded bliss....well I'm here to tell you: it DOESN'T HAPPEN!! or at least it doesn't for us.

We had an amazing time on our honeymoon in the Domician Republic but hit the ground running when we returned.  We were home less then a month then headed over to Belzoni for the annual catfish festival with the Halbrook Clan (sorry no photos).

May 4- Started May with a bag celebrating Jesse and Mary Margaret's wedding in Natchez, Mississippi.

May 11- We went to Houston to look for houses to move into the first of June.

May 18th- Andrew and Jessica graduated for college. Andrew with his undergrad and Jessica with her masters.

May 25- I went to the beach with the Woods...my little second family i miss so so so much!

 May 29-  We took month after photos for the wedding. I wanted to do this so we could get some shots together with Lilly and would not be rushed the wedding day. (more on this to come later)

June 1- We packed all our stuff into two Uhals, our cars, and our parents cars and then we drove them to The Woodlands, Texas. We then unloaded everything into a storage unit and moved in with my Aunt Harriett and Uncle Steve because the house hunt mentioned earlier did not go so well.

June 3- Andrew started his first day of work with Centerpoint Energy

June 8- We hung out with my cousin Rachel and her baby boys for the week.

           We also looked for houses during this time and found this little gem that we would soon call
           home. (it really is so cute)

June 15- We were supposed to move into our new home but my best friend was having a surprise engagement that I could not miss. Sooooo.....we drove to Thibodaux to surprise her.  Little did she know I had been cleaning out our storage unit all week searching for all the candles we had left over from the wedding for her special night. This engagement was more stressful then my entire wedding process

June 22-  We moved again...

June 29- My Mom came to visit and see the house...we didn't take any pictures.

July 4- Our friends came to visit for 5 days!!!

July 13- took the weekend off


July 15 went to the beach with my parents and nanny, went to shreveport to see granny, and then to Ruston to cut my hair off. (no pictures)

July 27- Ruston and Shreveport for Andrew and Dad's Birthdays

August 3- Trip to NB to see my cousins and all their babes...

And last weekend Andrew and I spent the weekend watching the sopranos...redoing our laundry room...and just being married.

So yes I haven't been a good bloger.

     yes I have been busy

     yes I haven't posted anything in 3 months....

                                   ....but I had a blast making memories with my hubby, our families and our friends

                               

xoxo 

am