Category Archives: Favorite Things

Gimme

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My 10th birthday landed on Easter Sunday.  I remember wearing a dress so filled with tulle and bows it looked like I was frothing.  Dad sat and colored with me while we waited on… something.  Church?  Birthday party?  I don’t remember.  What I DO remember is Dad mournfully saying “No more single digits for you… isn’t that sad?”  It hadn’t occurred to me, but since he pointed it out I suppose I agreed.  (Dad is mushy and nostalgic.)  Eleven years later, I turned 21 on Easter Sunday and that day was equally as woeful.  No shenanigans or bad decisions for this girl.  Ohhhh no.  Cadbury eggs in their place.  I’ve had another decade of birthdays all to myself, but come this March 31, Jesus is stealing my thunder yet again.  Something about saving all of mankind.  All I know is?  Ray Bans.

birthday

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Gimme.  And also this.

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And this.

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And this.

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I like to be really intentional with my birthday gift requests, and only ask for things that are essential to the operation of my daily life.  Thus, everything you see above.

Does your birthday land on any thunder stealing deities, leprechauns, or turkeys holidays?

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Favorite Things Friday

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First favorite – my hubby.

D: I’m going to have to start trimming my nose hair.

Me: It’s ok.  I’m going to have to start waxing my lip.

D: So this is what it’s come to… At least we’re getting old and hairy together.

#2 – These two.

In the back of my mind niggles a slight concern that Junior’s continued pantslessness will result in attire revolt as he grows.  Like maybe on the first day of his senior year we’ll get into a fight about how he has to wear britches to school and I will have to physically wrastle him into a pair of parachute pants because in 17 years, the fad will likely have come full circle.

In third place is a love/hate relationship.

I’m a full decade behind everyone else picking this one up, I realize.  Have you read?  It is horrifying!  I have had nightmares!  But like The Hunger Games, I can’t quit it.

What are your favorites today?  Any feel good books you would suggest as a remedy to the above?

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On Being Famous

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Just kidding.  I’m not actually famous.

But if you were to check out the fall edition of Vintage KC magazine, you might recognize a couple faces.

Or maybe only mine, since D has been sketchy about showing his mug. 

Here, how about now?

 I’ve talked about this magazine before.  I’m friends with the editor, so I have a sneaking suspicion that our appearance in her mag wasn’t so much our stunning good looks as it was our access to a farm and horses.

The theme was 1970′s country, which was fortunate because we both own a lot of cowboy boots.  Also, D dresses like a 1970′s cowboy anyway, so most of what he wore was already his.

The shoot was at my inlaws place, which is a very cool civil war era farmhouse with lots of land, outbuildings and animals.

   

Van Goat even made an appearance!

 This is D’s horsie, Pongo, that he’s had since high school.

Every section breaks down what we’re wearing, how much she got it for, and where you can find your own!

One more, just because it’s my favorite.

This was a fun experience.  I’m so glad she asked us to be a part of this, because honestly?  She’s kicking butt and this magazine thing.  Fashion is just one part of what you’ll find inside the cover.

She also tours beautiful, vintage loving homes.

And it’s full of DIY.  And I KNOW you love DIY.  Especially when it involves pallets.

So do yourselves a favor, head on over to her website and subscribe!

Tell her Amy sent you.  :)

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Dove Conditioner

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I’m the spawn of two barbers.

Have I ever told you that?  It’s true.  My parents have owned a salon since before I was a twinkle in their eyes, and for about 10 years they ran a second business – a barber and beauty distributorship.

Back when my mom was in charge of my hair, I was stylin’ and profilin’.

Amiright?

But when left to my own devices, things went downhill pretty quickly.

That was before I was given an opportunity to try out Dove advanced conditioner.  I was provided with Nourishing Oil Care Daily Treatment Conditioner, which contains nutri-oils and deeply nourishes without a greasy feel – which as you can see, I was in need of.

Me, after Dove advanced conditioner:

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Kidding.  But that’s how I felt!  This stuff is good.  Really good.  It has that nice thick consistency that smooths tangles as I used it.  Have you ever had the kind that’s all watered down feeling, and your fingers get caught up in your hair as you try to work it through?  Hate that.  This is the opposite of that.  Plus, it smells nice, which makes me smell nice, which, I’m sure, people in close proximity to me appreciate.  My hair tends to be dry and flat and brittle and tangled.  I usually put some sort of product on before I blow dry, but for the sake of scientific research I skipped that step and was pleased to find that my hair blew out very nicely and without any knots.  Fast forward several hours – I still haven’t pulled my hair up into a pony tail.  Now that’s a true testiment!

Because of my parents’ trade, I guess I’ve been a bit of an unintentional product snob.  I used what they carried without giving it much thought.  But I’m telling you true when I say that I would buy Dove advanced conditioner. 

In a nutshell – I dig it.

 So what about you, are you product snobs, or newly reformed like me? 

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Favorite Things Friday!

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It’s Friday!  And our terrible heat wave has broken!  And I am a new woman!

I had the windows open last night and was thoroughly enjoying the breeze whilst sipping my red.  Bedtime rolled around and I thought to myself, “Self.  You should leave the windows open all night long so the house will be so nice and cool and fresh in the morning!  You’re so full of good ideas, self.”

But then I thought, “Self.  Wait just a gosh darn minute.  If the windows are open, the kidnappers won’t have to break any glass to get in, the alarm system won’t realize anything is awry, and Junior will be in Mexico by morning!  Leaving windows open to enjoy the cool country air is the worst idea you’ve ever had!”

Even though we live in a teeny tiny town with an almost non-existant violent crime rate, I still shut and locked them tight and then had nightmares all night about Junior getting yanked through windows. 

Moms – is this level of crazy on par?

Now let’s pretend I’m not insane for a minute, and talk about things I like.  Because what’s better than yammering on about the inclinations of a loon?  Plus, I know you’re really, really intersted in stuff I like.

Like boots.

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Because it’s almost September, which can almost count as fall.

The other day I was piddling around in the basement while D was working on building our dining room table.  (Oh yeah, it’s in the works, and it’s going to be killer.)  And I uncovered my long lost scentsy warmer thingy!  The good news is that I still had a bunch of my favorite smells.  The bad news is that one of them has been discontinued. 

Oxford Scentsy (via)

NNNNOOOOOOO!!!! 

In further news, it turns out that almost every single one of the fragrances I own are from the “Scentsy Man” collection.  I don’t think that would surprise anyone.  Least of all, me.

Now check out this pumpkin.

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That is made from a dryer vent, you guys.  Don’t think I won’t be making one of my own.  Don’t even think it.

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I don’t care if it is 108 degrees out. 

White Chicken Chili is always a winner.

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D refuses to eat hot soup in the middle of a hot summer.  Something about working out in the sweltering heat all day.  But I work in an office that runs so cold I keep my space heater on in July.  And I wanted white chicken chili.  So I made this, and ate it, and declared it yummy in my tummy.

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Now let’s talk about rugs.

Navajo rugs are expensive.  A prize to anyone who can direct me to some of those suckers on sale.

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D accuses me of wanting to cover up all his hard work on the floors.  The truth of the matter is I want to mop less and vacuum more.

What do you think?  I like the red, but I think something turquise would look killer too.  Or should I leave them bald?

~

My mom has these old milk cans that I offered her dollars for, but she blew me off.

Sidenote - my Mom is hilarious.  After we moved out of their house and into our own I get a text message that goes “I just pottied with the door open and took my bra off.  Free the girls!”  Oh, the joys of living without your children.

MOM!  HOW MANY DOLLARS FOR YOUR MILK CANS??

I need to do this with them.

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Gimme.

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Friday Faves

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Since I don’t really have anything exciting to report on the home front… I’m back with another edition of Friday Favorites!

Please, hold your applause until the end of the post.

I found this on Pinterest.

You can find it here.

I grew up right across the street from my grandparents, who I love(d) with my whole heart.  They had an old white farm house on what used to be Kimbal dairy farm, and as an interesting-only-to-me side note, our street was named Kimbal, courtesy of that dairy.  Though their house was in considerably better shape than this one, I can’t look at anything resembling it without thinking of them and getting warm fuzzies.  Plus, this just looks like rural Kansas.  I want to buy it as a weekender and fill it up with old quilts and milk glass.

Planting stuff in things.

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We have one front and two back decks/patios/porches.  What is the difference, exactly?  Anyway, two of them are covered, one is not.  The one that is not needs a hot tub, methinks.  The others, I want to fill with adirondacks and stuff planted in things.  Doesn’t it just feel so homey?

This little gingham neck tie.

Because Junior will be wearing it on Easter Sunday.

This is what he wore last year, for his first Easter:

And not to be out done, even by himself, he wants to spiff up this year too.  I’ll share pictures on Monday.  :)

Happy Easter to everyone!  Big plans?

 

 

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Favorite Things

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Well, we didn’t quite hit our deadline. 

We have to be out of the rental tomorrow, and the new house isn’t ready for us. 

We are officially homeless!

We’ve got everything moved out of the rental, so all that’s left to do is scrub it.  We are really hoping and praying that we aren’t far away from moving into the new house, but in the meantime, my parents have graciously offered to take us in.

They’ve offered us their home, the screwing up of their schedules, the inconveniences that come along with adding three extra bodies, and I sincerely hope… some of Mom’s delicious home made food.  ;)

They offered all of this to us AFTER they spent the last week moving our crap, cleaning up after us, wrangling Junior, and literally helping build our new home.

This is not an ideal situation to be in, but I sure am thankful for family.

You are my very favorites.

The furry members of the family will be camping out on the farm, which they’re excited about, and we really appreciate.  So thank you, too, wonderful in-laws!  I feel so lucky to have married in to you.

We’ll never be able to repay you all for everything you’ve done, but in the meantime, here’s a virtual high five.

*high five*

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Friday Favorites

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First, I want to say thanks to Jessica at Stay At Home-ista, for passing along the Liebster award, and Kate at Discover. Create. Live. and Megan at The Remodeled Life for tagging me in their posts.  I won’t bore you all with repeating the tid-bits I’ve previously shared, but did want to thank these sweet girls for thinking of me. 

Now on to some favorite things on this beeeeeautiful Friday!

I’ve been staring at the picture of our master bathroom a lot.  You know, the one we painted a bold rust, right on up to the ceilings?  Then in my mind’s eye, I turn around and stare at the master bedroom, painted a pale yellow with plans for a grayish headboard, and white bedding. 

And wonder how in the crap I am going to tie the two together.

Dont get me wrong, I love them both, but I obviously want them to flow well together so I’ve been doing some panicking terrifying D with my waffling investigatin’.

When the solution came to me, I literally V-8 facepalmed my forehead, it was so obvious.

Gray. 

The gray in the headboard is my saving grace.  It will look soft and welcoming in the bedroom, yet look great with the wall color and slate floors in the bathroom.

Dear Gray, you are my new bestie.  I heart you a lot.  Sincerly, McWaffly Pants.

So, um, my first thought is not exactly a conventional one.  But, I sorta want this dead animal pelt luxurious rug for in the bathroom.

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Who doesn’t like to feel a little fur between their toes in the morning?  Crazy people.  That’s who.

Add some gray towels, some galvanized tin, a little art, and voila!  I’m grayden golden.

I’d been thinking I would do the whole bed in nothing but white, but with my new theme color in mind…

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mmm hmm…

And what girl wants to frolic around her new fancified digs without a little frosting herself?

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Oh yeah.  I heart you too, Kansas.

I feel much better for having figured all that out, and D is no longer worried that we’ll be repainting just as soon as we move in. ;)  

Speaking of moving in… a few of you asked when the big day is.  Well friends, we are a scant 22 days out!  I called and cancelled all our utilities at the rental this morning, then I double checked the calendar and counted out how very few days we have left before we are living in our dream.

Want to know what else happens in 22 days?  I turn 31.  Big, fat, happy birthday present to me!!

And what’s even more unbelievable is that in 17 days, little Junior turns one whole year old.

~sobs~

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