For my precious niece...

Stella Jo

Today you are two months and twelve days old. Already, you are the center of your parents' world, and you have your grandparents (and aunts) wrapped around your tiny fingers. When you cry it absolutely breaks my heart, and when you smile the world feels right. If ever there was a little girl who was totally and completely loved, she is you.

When you were first born, you looked just like your daddy to me. Now I'm not quite sure who you look like, but you're gorgeous anyway. It's so much fun being your aunt, and I can't wait to watch you become the woman God has called you to be.

As you grow up, I pray that you learn to love the Lord. I hope you have your daddy's spirit and your mommy's sweet and happy nature. I hope you chase your dreams but always remember where home is. I pray that you'll guard your heart and save it for a man who is worth loving. I hope you'll be strong enough to do what's right - even when it's hard.

For your daddy's sake, I hope you learn to hunt, rope, and play golf (so that you're prepared for all of his hobbies as he circulates through them), and for your mommy's sake, I hope you love to shop! But even if you don't, I hope you always remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and that God has an incredible plan for your life. He may lead you down a path you're unsure of, but know that His way is always best.

Above all, remember that you are totally and completely loved - unconditionally and for always.

Love,
Aunt RyRy

More pretty...

I really am sorry for all the home decor talk lately, but apart from this project that's due at work on Friday, it's all I can think about right now!

Today I just wanted to share a few of the blogs I've started following in my quest to decorate the house.  I think blogs are great for decorating because the blogger is often just a regular person with great DIY tips for those of us who are new to this game.

7th House on the Left

They're a young, married couple renovating/decorating their first house.  Super fun and great style.  One of my favorite features is actually not strictly design-related.  It's their "Favorite Things" post, where they showcase his and her current obsessions.

Secondhand Charm

They're actually a resale shop, but they've got gorgeous pieces, and they're located in the North Dallas area.  I'm totally lusting after this sideboard, but I don't think I've got anywhere to put it.  Maybe it can find a home with one of y'all?

From House to Home

I happen to have known this blogger since kindergarten. :)  She's brilliant and beautiful, and she and her husband just bought their first house and are having fun decorating, as well. She has great money-saving tips and apparently wonderful taste, because I also own that wrought-iron hanging (yay Hobby Lobby!). :)

Southern Hospitality

Rhoda posts some lovely things and always includes plenty of pictures.  I was so happy when I stumbled upon her blog.  One of my favorite features is her "Thrifty Treasures" linking parties, where everyone posts pictures of their thrifty finds.

Can you believe someone found this couch for $80 on Craigslist?!

The Lettered Cottage

I'd be surprised if you're into decorating and haven't heard of The Lettered Cottage (particularly if you're a PW fan like me - they helped redo Ree's friend Hyacinth's living room and are currently working with Ree on the upstairs room for her daughters).  They're a husband and wife design team, and they're fun and creative, and I love their site.  Definitely go check them out.

Pinterest Fun...

It's been awhile since I've done a Pinterest post, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite finds from the past month or so.  I've found so many wonderful ideas, and I'm excited to incorporate many of them into our house!

**Update** If a link to the pin is available, I linked it to the title of the pin, not the actual picture.

1. Burlap Board Letters

I actually bought a set of these for one side of my mantel (or wherever else I end up sticking them).  They haven't arrived yet, but I can't wait to see them!  Jillian was great to work with, and she sent pictures of the product so we could be sure they were what I wanted.  If you're in the market for anything burlap-ish, give her a shout! :)

2. Anniversary Picture

I LOVE this idea! To take a picture like this every year on your anniversary.  Imagine what it'd look like at year 50!

3. Fist Pump

How perfect is this, right? He's so proud to have her as his wife.  I just love love.

4. Tomato/Mozzarella/Bacon/Pesto Sandwich 

Doesn't this look scrumptious??! I'm a huge fan of hot sandwiches - particularly those involving bacon.  I'll definitely be trying this soon.

5. Tattoo

 If I were thinking of getting another tattoo, I would definitely consider this spot.  It looks so dainty and lovely, and I particularly love the verse.  Too cool.

6. Apothecary Jars 

I like the idea of putting things in apothecary jars for the master bathroom.  I want to keep it classic, but I need to bring in some color in there.  I'll definitely do the fancy soap idea - I've inherited my Mom's love of yummy-smelling homemade soaps, so this would be a fantastic excuse to buy some! :)

7. Cork Letters 

My Aunt Gem and Uncle Larry gave us a whole lotta wine corks to use, and I love the idea of making them into a letter or two.  I think they'd go perfect above my cabinets in the kitchen, although I think I need something a bit darker.  Does anyone know if the cork would absorb color or stain?

8. Fabric-Covered Styrofoam as Art

I'm definitely not in love with these particular fabrics, but I do like the idea of using fabric as wall art.  It's cheap, and you could achieve the exact look you're going for by choosing the perfect fabric.  This would be great above the console table I have in the master bedroom. :)

Are you guys hooked on Pinterest yet?  Any amazing finds out there that I'm missing? :)

PB finds... and a surprise!

I'm just going to go ahead and apologize in advance for the quality of these pictures. I waited until the sun went down to take them, and these darned energy efficient lightbulbs (which are amazing for our electricity bills) are horrible for pictures. But I wanted to go ahead and post these pictures anyway. Once I get everything in the right spot and all accessorized, I'll take more pictures in the daytime. :)

Ha! Fooled ya! This is the table we bought, but I definitely didn't take that picture. I just wanted to show you what it looks like all staged and everything.

Here it is in our house. We don't have any chairs yet (and judging from the ones Micah's really wanting, it'll be awhile - we're going to have to buy them one at a time!), but I'm already in love. The distressed wood planks are just perfect for the rustic style of the house, and the wrought iron brackets (is that what those things are?) echo the wrought iron we have in other places in the house. There are a few scuffs, but once I get them stained with the touch-up pen pottery barn sells, it'll be perfect! And I love it even more knowing that I got it over $800 off - all because it was missing a few bolts!

Here's a closeup. It's such a lovely mahogany color, which goes perfectly with the front door. I promise that once we get all the chairs and the piano painted, I'll post a picture of the whole room. I'm so excited to see it all come together!

Here's the desk! It's such a classic style in such a classic color, and it feels casual, yet elegant. I hate the stuffy, boxy, massive executive desks I see in a lot of places - this is streamlined but not too square or sleek. It's also a little distressed, so it'll go well with the overall theme throughout the house.

When we got home tonight we got a bonus surprise! I had tried to order the chaise I'd been eying from Urban Outfitters, but I never got a confirmation email, and it hadn't gone through on the credit card yet, so I thought it had been backordered. But two gigantic boxes were on the porch when Micah got home today, and it was the chaise! We put it all together, and this is what it looks like:

The color in the picture isn't super accurate. It's a bit darker than the bright spots on the arms suggest, and the color really is perfect.

The problem is mostly that I'm not sure if it's the right piece for that space. I'm not actually sure if we need anything there at all. I'll be getting some creamy white drapes to go on the windows behind it, and a tree for the corner to the left. I was planning on getting a large mirror to lean against the wall opposite the bed in the corner to the right of the windows, so I'm not actually sure we need anything there in front of the windows. I'd like to have some sort of seating, but I'm not positive this is what I want. Maybe just a creamy white wingback chair. What do you guys think?

Apparently we're spontaneous...

Sorry I haven't blogged in a few days, but we've been busy!

I came down with a cold on Wednesday and had to stay home for the next two days. I went back in on Friday, but I still wasn't feeling very well. My day got infinitely better, though, after I decided, on a whim, to call the Pottery Barn outlet in San Marcos to see if they had the dining room table Micah and I had been looking at. Turns out they had one (at over $800 off!!), so I called Micah to see if he wanted to take an impromptu trip down to San Marcos to buy it. He said yes, and we decided to go ahead and leave that evening. We got on the road and made it down there around 8 PM.

We were too tired to go anywhere interesting for dinner (we're so old!), so we ended up driving through Round Rock Donuts to try their famous donuts. I wish I had taken a picture because they were bright orange! And although I couldn't totally taste them because of my cold, what I could taste was really yummy. Plus, they were still hot - so hot, in fact, that the box was burning my legs. There ain't nothin' better than a hot donut, y'all.

We also made a quick run into Ikea before we went to our hotel. There's one about 45 or so minutes from us, but we're never in that area, so we figured we'd go ahead and drop in so that we could get a replacement drawer frame to replace the one someone (ahem, Micah) broke during the move. I also grabbed these cute candlesticks (and you know they were cheap - gotta love Ikea), that I'm planning on painting and distressing and putting somewhere in the master bedroom or bathroom.

In Saturday morning, we slept in (halellujah!) and, after soliciting suggestions on Facebook, decided to go to The Salt Lick for lunch.

For those of you that have never been, The Salt Lick is probably the most popular BBQ restaurants in Austin. Actually, it's outside Austin, and the drive to the restaurant was gorgeous. It was hilly and country, and we so enjoyed the drive over there. And, thankfully, we got there early, because apparently this place gets CRAZY at lunch time on Saturdays. I remembered to snap a few pictures to share.

We both ordered a plate with ribs, brisket, and sausage. It was all scrumptious (particularly the sausage), and the sauce was to die for.



After lunch, we headed to the outlets. I was, in no way, prepared for the craziness of the San Marcos outlet stores. There were just so many stores. And there were so many good stores, although we didn't get a chance to check any of them out apart from the Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn outlets. The RH store was fantastic, but, for the most part, the style is just a teensy bit too masculine and monotone for me. But there's no denying that their stuff is gorgeous (and pricy, of course). We did see a bunch of really cool vintage trunks that I'd LOVE to use as a coffee table (I've already been on the hunt for a cheaper one on Craigslist) and some fun burlap pillows.

When we walked into Pottery Barn, I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven. It was humongous and filled with all the lovely things I'd been lusting over in the catalogs and stores, but for 30-50% off! I can't believe that I forgot to take pictures while we were in there, but we did come home with several things, and I promise I'll share pictures soon. (I just didn't have time to take any with my good camera, and the iPhone pictures just don't do them justice.)

Yesterday, we went to church, grabbed lunch with my Mom and Steve, visited with friends, grabbed dinner with my Dad and Lori, and put together one of the pieces of furniture that we bought. I'm in love. :)