simply complicated

When Nathan and I got married I had no idea how to cook. The most I could do was cook noodles and eggs. I didn't even know how to heat up spaghetti sauce. (mostly I was just lazy and didn't want to dirty a pot...) Nathan loved to cook so luckily we didn't starve.

I have come a long way since those dark days. {dark meaning the color of our food because I was the queen of over cooking things...} 

I wanted to share my recipes that I love to cook this time of year. If I cook them, they are easy. :) So get ready and make your shopping list ladies!

Spicy Chili 

*feeds about 8 

**takes about 15 minutes prep and an hour to cook

2 lbs ground chuck (if you can get deer meat it makes the best chili!)

2 large onions, chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 (16 oz) cans kidney beans, undrained

1 (16 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 tbl chili powder

2 tsp garlic salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes (you can add more if you like it spicy)

1/4 tsp hot sauce (I do about 1/2 to 1 tsp)

Cook ground chuck, chopped onion, & garlic on skillet over medium heat until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain when needed. 

Transfer mixture to a large pot. Stir in beans & the rest of the ingredients. 

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low-medium. Simmer (uncovered) for one hour. Stir occasionally.

Spicy Chicken in the Crock Pot

*feeds 4

**prep time: 5 minutes; cook time: 6 hours

 1 can rotel

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can black beans (drained/rinsed)

5-6 frozen chicken breasts

8 oz cream cheese

1 packet dry ranch dressing

1 tbl cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp chili powder

I use a crock pot bag to help with the mess. Place chicken down first and the top with other ingredients. Cover and cook in crock pot for about 6 hours. Shred chicken and enjoy!

Beef Rice Cabbage

*feeds about 6

*prep time: 10 min; cook time: 30 minutes

3 tbl butter

1/2 cabbage, chopped

1 cup uncooked minute rice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 lbs ground chuck (the leaner the better)

1 can rotel

salt & pepper

Melt butter in skillet, layer cabbage, uncooked rice, onion, raw crumbled hamburger, salt and pepper, then tomatoes. Cover with lid and simmer for about 30 minutes or until hamburger is done. 

Enjoy this holiday season with easy meals that are yummy and feed a crowd!

Most people have a "honey-do" list, but my honey is going to be working full time during Christmas break so my list has been transformed into an "I do" list. :) #teacherprobs

Because I am a teacher, I have off of work for exactly 11.5 days plus weekends.

But who's counting? ;) Part of that time we will be in Texas, so I've got to get my act together!

I have several things that I would like to get done around the house. 

I wanted to post this blog for two reasons...

First, I just did a blog post last week about making the most of your day. And I have many days off to make the most of so I am going to put my ideas to the test!

Second, I want to keep myself accountable by telling all of you what I will hopefully get accomplished. I am more apt to do something if I know that someone is expecting me to get it done. 

So here it goes...

{1} I want to clean out our master closet. Go through everything. And I do mean e v e r y t h i n g. I don't think I am utilizing the space like it could be and I know there are things in there that we don't wear/use anymore. 

{2} Hang the few items I have purchased for the walls in my "stripe" guest room. This past weekend I added a really cool mirror to the list of things I have for the stripe room. I need to make a final decision on where I want to hang things and get it done! I have loved the way the room has turned out so far and I can't wait to share it with you!

{3} Find some end tables that I like for our master bedroom. I want to put our current end tables (that are old and semi-falling apart) in our stripe room. They would look great in that room and our guests don't really need the drawers (the falling-apart section). 

{4} Clean our base boards. I know....BORING. But they are filthy and its driving me nuts. I think this is something that needs to get done a couple times a year and I haven't had the chance to do it since we moved into our house over 2 years ago. #confessionsofaworkaholic. I found a great blog post on effective ways to clean your baseboards. I will be trying way #1 and possibly #6.

{5} Organize our linen closet. I always see pins on pinterest and think "I need to do that". Well, my linen closet is no different. I plan on going to the dollar store and organizing it in baskets and lots of labels. Right now its a nightmare. I'm so tired of it!

{6} Speaking of organizing...Nathan finished my laundry room last weekend! I need to organize it and figure out the best way to utilize my new shelves. I was inspired to get this laundry redone by a picture I got from Hobby Lobby.

 ^ My gold/copper ceiling! :) I used the "metals" line by Martha Stewart from Home Depot. I think it being discontinued though because the paint was on clearance.

^ Wall color is by Behr. I can't remember the name but its kind of an aqua color. I love it! By the way...props to my hubby and dad for rigging that light for me! It once looked like this...

Here is the finished room. (I have added a couple of things to the bottom shelf since taking this pic)

^Nathan made me those shelves! They are so great. I love this room! Now to fill those baskets. ;)

{7} I would love to shampoo our carpets. If you have a pet then you know what I'm talking about. They just get dirty after a while and even the best vacuum cleaner doesn't get them clean enough. 

{8} Clean our fridge. I don't mean throw food away...we are pretty good about keeping up with that. I mean literally cleaning the shelves, drawers, etc. After awhile food can get spilled in there. And I don't know what it was about Thanksgiving but stuff spilled like crazy in there!

{9} Clean the inside of the microwave really good. Enough said.

{10} Clean out our pantry. Part of this will happen as I am organizing the laundry room because several things from the pantry are soon going to be stored in those big baskets. 

I know this probably seems daunting to many people to try and accomplish, but if I don't keep myself busy around the house then I will end up at the mall spending money that I don't need to spend. 

I am sure that something amazing will be playing on the TV like One Tree Hill or Gossip Girl, so it will be a little more dramatic. ;) 

Today is my amazing mother's birthday!

I am so so SO thankful for my mom for so many reasons. 

She is such a caring, encouraging, selfless, funny, and supportive person. And then when you mix all that with her motherly instincts...wow. Like none other.

So happy birthday mom! I love you and can't wait to spend a little bit of Christmas break with you!

*****************************************

 I LOVE reading blogs.
It makes my day so much better. 
I get a lot of ideas from blogs so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites! 

Mix and Match Family: Her name is Shay Shull. But you probably know her best from her brother being the Bachelor (Sean Lowe). She posts Monday-Friday on all kinds of topics! You should definitely check her out. And a bonus is she has a food blog and posts GREAT recipes! {Mix and Match Mama} 

Pinterest Told Me To: Um, Sheaffer is HILARIOUS. She such a cute style (which she says is because of Pinterest). I love reading her posts...I kind of feel like we are friends. Creepy? Probably. Do I care? Nope. Her and Shay are friends and have a lot of great contests, etc. Check her out!

Makeup by Tiffany D: I got started watching Tiffany's makeup YouTube videos, but I love her blog too. She doesn't post too often but when she does, its always a good one! I loveeeee her decorating style! So so classy. 

Classy Clutter: If you are looking for great DIY's check out this blog. Some super cute cute stuff! Its like the ultimate DIY section of Pinterest.

Melissa Faye Blog: Of course my friend, Melissa. She has some great posts about life, love, and great products that she finds! Her posts are always straight from the heart and definitely make you reflect. 

What blogs do you love to read?

  

I like to think that I'm a pretty productive person. 

Especially if I get going on a roll. There is no stopping me. 

When I worked at the University (aka office job) my coworkers used to ask me how I stayed above water and I would just tell them that I guess I am productive.

I thought I would share some things that help me make the most of my day by being productive.

{1} Make a to do list.

I am sure this is the first one on everyone's list {pun intended} of essential productivity items. But mine is probably a little different from them...I make two lists. The first one is a "master list" of everything that I want to get done. I then take that list in its entirety and decide what needs to be done first. I put my first priority on a post it and when I complete that one thing, I throw the post it away and mark it off my "master list". The next important item goes on a post it to get done and so on. I do this because I found I was getting overwhelmed by looking at this big long list of items that I know all need to get done. I also started wasting utilizing the post it method because if I went off my long list, I would look at it in the middle of trying to finish something and start on something else. And before I knew it I was working on 4 things from my list all at the same time.

{2} Play music or don't play music, that is the question.

 Some people work really well with music playing in the background and some people do not work well in that situation. You need to figure out which category you stand in and stick with it. I work best with music playing. And specifically, fast paced music. Doesn't really matter what genre. I also have to have it at a louder volume. Not like I'm at a rock concert or anything, but definitely louder than you'd sing a baby to sleep. 

{3} Set a goal/reward for accomplishment.

{4} DND
Put your phone/texts/email on Do Not Disturb until you allow yourself the accomplishment break. The second that phone or email goes off, that gives you a split second of curiosity if you should answer it and then you get sucked into the vortex of distraction. I personally have an iPhone and the thing I like about DND on the iPhone (I am not sure if it works this way on any other kind of phone) you can still receive phone calls from anyone on your "favorites" list OR if someone not on your favorites calls twice in 3 minutes then the call goes through. My theory is if its an emergency, they'll call. Otherwise, it can wait till my break.

{5} Girl, you better recognize!
Let me preface this last thing with: DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN ALL THE TIME! If unproductiveness (is that even a word?! lol) is happening all the time then you might need to reevaluate your sleep schedule, eating schedule, exercise schedule...there are a lot of different things that play into our energy levels.
But girl, you better recognize when you are not having a productive day and why. Are you distracted by something else? Are you unmotivated and what is making you unmotivated? Maybe you're just flat out tired and need a "mental health day"?
You need rest. That includes your body and your mind. If you are spreading yourself too thin then you will not function as well. So take some time to refuel. But you need to be able to recognize what your signs of emptiness are, and you need to know what refuels you.

If you are in a small business (or looking to start a small business), you should check out Kabbage. They help small businesses get small business loans, as well as motivate productivity in the work place. They have some other suggestions for productivity in the work place. You can check them out HERE.

What helps you with productivity??

Well, my birthday is actually tomorrow and I am sure it will be great, but I thought I'd talk about my favorite birthday(s) I've ever had. 

I thought I would be able to narrow it down to 1 but I just can't. I have a couple that stand out to me. 

My 10th birthday.

Growing up we didn't have birthday parties with friends {we just had family birthday parties}, but on my 10th birthday my mom let me have 3 friends over for a slumber party. It was so fun! They were my 3 best friends growing up and we had a blast. We did a pajama cat walk show {complete with awards}, painted nails, and other girly things. My mom was also the queeeeen of scavenger hunts growing up so there was definitely a scavenger hunt involved.

My 12th birthday. 

My mom surprised me and redid my room. The year before we had moved across town and it was horrifying for me. I missed our old house so bad. My new room had the previous owners wall paper, wall color, weird shelf above the bed and horrible curtains. So the next year for my birthday my parents got me a new comforter, painted, new curtains, wall hangings, and even string lights for around the window. It was such a great surprise! 

I actually noticed it when I was walking home from the bus stop. I saw there was an extension cord in the window. I ran inside and ran upstairs. My mom stopped me mid run and told me I couldn't go up to my room till my dad got home. What a party pooper! 

When he finally got home, the room was decorated in purple and pink leopard and zebra print. Every teeny boppers dream.

My 21st birthday.

My parents went all out. I was about to get married and I think they thought this was going to be the last time they were going to have to celebrate with me. {muahahaha}

My mom told me to invite a couple friends down and we'd go to a spa, so my friends Chey and Caitlan came down. First we went to the mall and got me an outfit for the night, went to the spa and got totally pampered, and then went to my favorite restaurant Taste of Texas. There were several people that went to dinner with us and it was so so fun! I absolutely loved it.

I have plenty of birthday memories but these definitely stand out in my mind.

I am so thankful to my parents {and now amazing husband} who always make my birthday wonderful. 

December is by far my favorite month of the year.

Its my birthday month (December 5th!) and its Christmas! 

Now that I'm a teacher, I get half of December off so that's not too bad either. ;)

Yesterday started the season of Advent. This is the time where we wait in anticipation for Christ. A lot of people think that the end goal is Christmas and skip right past Advent, but I think that Advent makes Christmas that much sweeter!

I started reading the Advent readings to my first period students each morning at the start of the day. {I work in a private school so I have the luxury of being able to talk about my faith...its such a blessing}

I am going off the cute calendar below that I found on Pinterest. If you check out Pinterest you will find all kinds of designs that all have the same scriptures. You should catch up and read through the Christmas story with me during Advent!

I was also thinking about starting to write down monthly goals. I did this when I was in college and I loved it. It really helped me stay focused {plus I am a sucker for being able to check something off a list!}. #typeAmuch?

So here are my December goals.

I love fall.

I love fall clothes.

I love boots.

I love layering.

I just love all of it! And I have completely gotten into this fall season and the trends. 

Thought I would put together some of my top 5 closet must haves for fall. There are definitely multiple options with in each category that range in style and price. Hopefully you find something that you fall in love with. {pun intended}

 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Speaking of vests...

Put one of these lovelies over a striped tee, add a statement necklace {or scarf} and viola! You will look like a million bucks!

I am currently obsessed with vests.

They go with everything and make any look more put together. I have seen several of these {listed above} that will for sure be on sale for Cyber Monday so give it a try.

1 // 2 // 3

My most favorite color in the world is leopard. It is a neutral after all...am I right ladies? ;) 

When I mix prints, it usually has leopards in there somewhere. 

Either a leopard scarf or leopard flats. 

If you add leopard flats to the ensemble that we talked about before, you will look like a million bucks!

Follow me on Instagram for more fun outfits!

What are your fall closet must haves?

Public Service Announcement:

I LOVE STOCKING STUFFERS!

My mom is the ultimate stocking stuffer queen. Its not all candy and toothbrushes in there. One year I got perfume, movies, jewelry, makeup, and my beloved Victoria's Secret underwear all in one stocking. I aspire to be like her one day. 

Thought I'd give you a few ideas on some stocking stuffers this holiday season. There is quite the variety so hopefully you will find something for your favorite lady.

For the book lover...

I have so many things to be thankful for. I most certainly do not recognize them enough. So with Thanksgiving being this week, I thought I've give ya a little something to hopefully get you thinking about what you have to be thankful for.

1. First and foremost, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for the sacrifice that he made for me. I am certainly no where close to perfect and he accepts me as I am, but doesn't want to leave me there. 

2. My family. All of them. They are crazy and sometimes drive me crazy, but I am so thankful for their support, listening ear, humor, love, and shoulder to cry on. I miss my Texas family so much some days that it hurts.

3. My husband. I know that he is my family, but he is so much more than that to me. Other than Jesus, he is my rock. I love him so much and take him for granted way too often.

4. My job. I have always wanted to be a teacher and love it so much. Some days are frustrating and I walk away from a day at work wondering if I made a difference, or even taught the kids anything but I love my job so much. When a student tells you that you are their favorite teacher and thank you for coming to their sporting events, plays, and concerts it means so so much and puts meaning behind all the lesson planning and paper grading.

5. Coffee and coca cola. I am so thankful for these equally. They give me energy and can make me so happy when I'm having a bad day.

6. Running, clean water. We are so fortunate to have running water it isn't even funny. And we take it for granted everyday. There are so many people in the world that die because of the water crisis and we need to be thankful that we will not be one of those people.

7. Pinterest.Yes, it uses up a lot of my time where I could be spending it on more productive things...BUT I get a lot of recipe ideas, hosting ideas, etc from pinterest that helps me bring people together for great community time.

8. My iPhone 6. {I know, shameful plug that I have the newest iPhone} But honestly, I'd be thankful to have any smart phone. It is such a privilege and the ultimate #firstworldprob to have a magic box in our hands at all times. It can literally tell you more things than you would ever want to know. What an amazing gift! Plus it is so great that I can FaceTime with my loved ones when I really miss them.

9. My car. It gets me a lot of different places that I love to go and some places that I have to go to help others. I am on my third car and not many people are privileged to get one car, let alone have 3 in their lifetime. I am thankful for the ability to drive and the ability to have a car that is fancier than I really need. What a blessing.

10. Don't laugh, but Netflix. I know...it takes up a lot of time that I could be spending on more important things (like cleaning my very dirty house) but sometimes I just really need a break and what a better way than to catch up on what Dereck Shepherd and Meredith Grey are doing. ;) Or watching Safe Haven for the 239874 time.

...last but DEFINITELY not least. I am thankful for this blog. I know that I have a very small audience right now and I also know that I haven't gotten to post regularly this semester, but I enjoy it so much. Thank you for reading and I hope you have/had a safe Thanksgiving!

Caution: sappy post

Today is my dad's birthday. I love my dad so much and miss living so close to him. He has taught me so much in my life. Way too much for those little space. Just wanted to post a little diddy about him and say happy birthday! Thank you for supporting me, encouraging me, giving me grace and mercy when I don't deserve it, teaching me about the love of Jesus, providing for all my needs and most of my wants, and loving me through all the tears and stubbornness. I love you dad....love, sweet pea.

So I was trolling pinterest the other day {like I hardly ever do. HA. today is opposite day.} and I saw this really cute picture and thought...what a great future post to blog about. So here it goes...

I'm sorry if you are one of those people that says "no Christmas before Thanksgiving" because I am wanting Christmas everything lately!  Its all I can do not to decorate my house and sing Christmas carols all day long. {actually I have been making my students listen to Christmas music for about 2 weeks. Oops...}

I think I may actually decorate this weekend. Before you judge me, here is my reasoning....my husband is a youth pastor, and our weekends are sometimes jammed packed with youth events which means no time for house projects. This weekend we are free {only weekend till 2nd weekend in December} so I am thinking I am going to take advantage of that. :)

Here are a few of my "pin-spirations" for my Christmas decor this year. I am trying to make things pretty neutral {lots of glass, mirrored glass, natural wood finishes, & gold} but I am going to add in a little red {not fire engine red though} and the green color of a Christmas tree. Basically when you walk in I want you to think that I got everything at Pottery Barn. {girl you know I got it at Hobby Lobby or TJ Maxx... ;) } 

You can check out my entire Christmas board HERE.

 ^source

 ^source

 ^source

^no source

 

^source

 

If I can convince Nathan to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic this weekend then I will definitely share pics with you. 

 

What are some of your favorite Christmas pins? Put the link in the comments! :)  

My sweet friend Melissa and I decided to link up and do a guest post on each others blogs! There are 15 really weird facts that you might want to know about us. You can see what I wrote on her blog HERE. 

Her blog is so amazing. She posts regularly about life, faith, decorating fun, advice, and just all around humorous stuff. Plus she's got great style and caring heart, so how could you go wrong?? 

Go check her out! Ladies....here is Melissa! :)

1. What's a nickname only your family calls you? 

Peep. Don't ask me how my parents came up with that one (that's a whole other post), but its definitely stuck. My parents answer the phone when I call with, "Hey, peep". So, I am unsure if they would know my real name without Facebook. 

2. What's a weird habit of yours? 

I have to do the same morning routine every morning from the succession of steps in the shower to getting dressed. Everything has to be done exactly the same. The only difference may be my hair styling routine if I have straightened my super curly hair. I also have to check the shower curtain before I use the bathroom in my apartment. Um, paranoid much? 

3. Do you have any weird phobias? 

Yes. Butterflies really terrify me. I don't share that with too many people (too late?), but I don't like that they flutter. It really grosses and freaks me out. Trust me, it is NOT the same as disliking puppies or babies. You would think I said dogs and babies were crap when I tell people this. It's really not the same. 

4. Whats a song you secretly love to blast and belt out when you're alone? 

Black Widow. It makes me feel powerful. It is a filthy song though. Oops. 

5. What is one of your biggest pet peeves? 

Probably when people are being outright rude. Some people just think they are entitled to treat people badly and get away with it. It drives me crazy!

6. What's one of your nervous habits? 

Well, my hands sweat profusely and get really, really cold. My eyes also water when I am nervous or embarrassed. I get really self-conscious that people think I am crying, which makes me more nervous. It's a vicious cycle. 

7. What side of the bed do you sleep on? 

I either sleep in the middle or the left side (for some reason). I sleep alone in a king size bed, so I can sleep wherever I like!

8. What was your first stuffed animal and what was its name? 

I honestly don't remember this. I was not a big fan of naming anything growing up. 

9. What's the drink you always order at Starbucks? 

Spring/Summer: Iced Caramel Macchiato

Fall/Winter: Pumpkin Spice Latte or Peppermint White Mocha

10. Which way do you face in the shower? 

I always face away from the shower head unless I am rinsing off. 

11. Do you have any weird body skills? 

I can twist my tongue into that funky clover shape. Other than that, nope!

12. What's your favorite comfort food that is bad, but you eat it anyways? 

Probably Chick-Fil-A. It has always been my comfort food!

13. What's a phrase or exclamation you always say? 

If I am texting, I always find myself saying, "Oh, okay". It's just always my answer to everything. At work I always say, "He gone!" or "She gone!". It means a lot of different things, haha. 

14. What do you wear when you sleep? 

Um, normally nothing. (TMI?) Obviously if I am at my parents or staying as a guest at someone's home I wear a t-shirt and shorts. At home, its just me, myself, and I! 

15. What did you used to wear that you thought was cool, but now realize it wasn't? 

I always wore peasant skirts back in my early college days. I thought they looked cool and bohemian, but they actually looked ridiculous! Never wearing anything that like that again! Oh, and platform flip flops. Seriously?! What was I thinking?!

I have a LOT of pinterest pins. Like a lot. And if you're anything like me, they are {somewhat} organized.

Most of the time I see my boards and think "why didn't I split this board up into 4 subcategories (yes, I just said that...I'm type A...)

A couple of months ago, I started pinning to a board called "Wishlist". Pretty self explanatory. I thought I would share the top 13 things on my wishlist board. Why 13? Because that is T. Swift's favorite number and I am so excited that I will finally be getting her new album tomorrow! #latetotheparty

1. Anthropology Tunic. I LOVE! I don't have anything from Anthro...yet. Tunic is no longer available. :(

2. Diane von Furstenburg's Wedge Sandals: Can't find link.

3. Anthropology's Initial Gold Coffee Mug: HERE is the white version

4. Cleopatra Bib Necklace from Bauble Bar: found HERE
5. Precious Striped Loose Fitting Tunic
6. Love this chair for my living room!
7. I have been wanting some bar stools like this. You can find them at Target, but not in the height I need. #boo
8. Gold Sparkly Shower Curtain. I am about to redo both of my bathrooms & want a gold curtain for one of them...just can't decide because its so pretty. :)
9. Texas Wire Shelf...would look amazing in my room or my guest room! YES PLEASE! #texan
10. I'm So Fancy pillow. Um duh. Pick a room in my house and it would look great.
11. Kate Spade Watch. I really like the ones that have the leather sparkly bands, but I love the tortoise mixed with gold. I think it looks super sophisticated and fancy.
12. I really like this black and white striped floor pillow. I don't know if it would work in my guest room with the stripe wall...but you can never have too many stripes. #right?
13. Gold Leopard Pillow. I really want this for the bed in my stripe room. I know, you think I'm crazy. And I am. But I think it would look so cute!!!

What kinds of things do you have on your wishlist? 

Long time no blog post. 

I have been MIA & incredibly busy! Lots of house updates & teacher fun. 

Today's post is brought you by the fact that our guest room #1 (aka the grey room) is almost done!! If you remember from my original "be our guest" post my amazing husband & in-loves redid my guest room while I was out of town. Well, we have added pillows, lamps, and curtains! & I'm more in love. <3

^^ Here is a panoramic so you can see the whole room.

Just need: Faux fur euro pillows, throw for the end of the bed, & something for that huge wall on the right. 

Now.....

As far as guest room #2 (aka the stripe room)...

I haven't talked about it on the blog, but I posted a pic on Instagram a couple of weeks ago....

The painting is DONE! Nathan's grandparents are going to give us one of their beds & then the decorating will commence. Here is some of the process that we did for the stripes. {let me know if you'd like a more in-depth post on how we did the stripes...they turned out so much better than I thought they would.}

Well y'all...its been a long time comin but our guest room is coming together finally! But let me tell you the awesome story.

So Labor Day weekend we (my in-loves, hubby, & I) went to Florida to see my husbands grandparents. My hubby's sweet grandma decided that since she wasn't going to see me for my birthday or Christmas she wanted to buy me some gifts (I know...I'm so blessed!) So naturally, we headed to Hobby Lobby. 

I knew that I wanted to get a few things to hang in the guest room since I was determined to get that room finished but I wasn't sure what I was looking for. Then I found this guy...

Well, I don't think I've shared this with y'all but I have been terrified to paint rooms in my house. Not because of the paint. Just because I feel very indecisive about paint colors and I have no imagination and its hard for me to visualize what the colors will look like when they're up on the walls. Plus, Nathan and I have been really trying hard to stay on a budget and I don't want to waste money on a paint color that I may not end up liking. Thus...its been 2 years and no rooms in the house are painted. #coldsweatsjustthinkingaboutit

Well, Labor Day weekend was a break through for me. I found a paint color that I just KNEW would look good in the guest room. (Behr Greywood) I mentioned it to the hubby, but told him that I didn't want to hang any of my new beauties till we could paint.

Fast forward a week. I was headed to Tennessee to see my brother propose to his girlfriend (#sosweet) and Nathan was staying behind. When I got home I noticed this clock (bought a while ago for the guest room) hanging in the kitchen. 

I thought...why in the world would he have thought of that? So I asked "did you hang all the new stuff because I thought we weren't going to do that till we could paint?" 

To which he replied "I don't know..."

So I pretty much ran into the guest room. I turned around and he was video taping me...now I'm really suspicious. 

Lo and behold, he had painted and hung all my beauties while I was gone! (with the help of my in-loves). I was SO excited! Check it out!