Exciting Shabby Apple Giveaway!!!

Let me start by saying how jealous I am of one of you lucky ladies!
I have been asked by Shabby Apple to host a giveaway. I LOVE LOVE LOVE their designs. The dresses are all classy and fun, vintage with modern flair. Their styles have daytime dresses or options for special occasions, they also have precious little girls dresses.

I want this adorable Cider dress for myself. I can think of so many great ways to wear it!
I love this little black number



To Enter:
1 entry: Follow my blog and let me know that you do
1 entry: follow me on twitter
1 entry: Tweet the giveaway! {Include link to tweet in post}
1 entry: visit Shabby Apple and tell me which dress is your favorite
1 entry: Follow Shabby Apple on twitter
1 entry: "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook

Please use a separate post for all entries

Winner will be announced on Friday!

Blue's new do!

So my days as a hairstylist are officially over. {Future teenage Keating, you're welcome!} I had been randomly snipping Keating's hair when he was in the bath tub, and it was not yielding great results... to say the least. I really didn't realize how bad it looked until it was professionally cut. Poor guy looked like the shaggy dog.

In typical Blue fashion, the first haircut was a dramatic experience. It was sitting on Santa's lap all over again! When we first arrived we told the ladies that it would most likely be a fit of hysteria so they prepared him with candy and a cool toy story car/chair to sit in. He was not impressed with the chair, but he did like the blue dum dum {great color choice}.

What went from this...

Quickly turned to this, and worse. I had to put my camera down because he was trying to climb out of the chair. It took two women to cut his hair. One was buzzing and the other was snipping with the scissors while my mom and I were helping hold him in the chair.

He was pretty devastated, but in the end he was happy because we bought him baby M&M's as a prize! I still cant get used to how old he looks now! He isn't a little baby anymore, he is on the verge of being a boy and I'm not sure that I'm ready for that!

Work In Progress

Friends, if you pop in and see my blog in transition, please just excuse the mess. I am trying out my hand at blog design! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

A day in our life

So I thought I would share with y'all a peek into our rainy day yesterday. We were home bound for a majority of the day and it was hardly exciting... but it is what it is! {Sorry none of these photos are edited} Rise and shine! He is always so happy to see me in the morning! By far, my favorite part of the day!! He always has his horse lovie by the tail{in his hand}

Keating started the day with a little breakfast {Cheerios and mandarin oranges}, that he so nicely shared with the dogs. He always has a fan club sitting underneath his "Awesome 80's High Chair" Isn't it beautiful?

After breakfast he played with his stadium cup {his favorite toy, I kid you not!} and wrestled with John. John isn't so sure of Keating's new found interest in him, but he is a good sport none the less.

He also snooped around to see what he could get into. He successfully stole my phone, spilled my coffee and nabbed the TV remote in about 5 seconds. Such a stinker! Look at that innocent face, dont be fooled!! =)

After Keating's morning nap we ventured down to the county board of health to pick up a copy of Keating's birth certificate. Yes, I am aware that my son is a year old next month... better late than never! Total mom fail. I completely forgot about getting one until my mom reminded me about it. But at least we have it just in time to sign him up for mother's morning out for the fall.

When we got home, checking out the doggy door was on Blue's agenda. He thinks its pretty great that the dogs can run in and out of it. Just after he stuck his head out, they all came running in and knocked him over. He was not pleased!

That afternoon, I got the itch to cook something yummy. Ever since I saw the December issue of Food Network Magazine I have been dying to make salted caramels. I never made them at Christmas because the Barefoot Contessa recipe from the magazine intimidated me a little bit. I had no idea what "Fleur de sel" was, so I decided to skip it and hoped to find a less fussy one. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a much simpler recipe in the February Southern Living.

They are SO delicious, I can't stop eating them. So much for New Year's Resolutions.

Here is the super easy recipe that I adapted a little.

1 cup sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup butter
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

* Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a 3 qt sauce pan over medium heat; cook, without stirring, 7 minutes
* Stir in condensed milk, and bring to a boil over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly until a candy thermometer registers 238 degrees (Soft ball stage) about 20-25 minutes
* Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into 8 inch square pan and let stand 8 hours {I was impatient and only did a few hours} at room temperature. {I also used a 9x13 pan and they were about a 1/2 inch thick and made about 4 dozen 1 inch pieces}
* Invert caramel onto a cutting board and cut into 1 inch squares with a knife or metal spatula
* Sprinkle sea salt over caramels
*EAT!!

Here is Lola, begging for a caramel.

After our {my} afternoon snack, we did a little playing and watched Ellen. At 5 Keating ate dinner and gorged himself on black beans and corn, his favorite. Then around 6:30 he had his bath. He used to be going to bed at 6:30 so this is an improvement.

He loves bath time and gets a kick out of pulling the drain up. All of the dogs come to supervise and entertain him so that he isn't lonely. He was watching them over the edge. He really needs more baby friends to play with... all of his friends have 4 legs!

After bath time, he had his nightly bottle and we waited for Brad to get home from work. I almost had him rocked to sleep, until Brad came busting through the door. Keating has not let me rock him since he was a tiny baby, so it was nice to enjoy him being a cuddly baby. But whenever he sees his daddy he think's it is play time and he no longer wanted his mama. =(

Last night, instead of watching the President's state of the union address, we watched our last week's The Office {Where was Jim?? He was only in the opening!} and Tombstone {so much cheesier than I remember!} that we got from netflix.

Then, hit the hay. And there you have it, an exciting day in our life!

Sorry for all of my interjections!

The Job Hunt among other things

First off, thank you all so much for your condolences. We went to Lousiana for my Nannie's funeral last weekend. Overall, it was a happy celebration of her life. She was well loved and it certainly showed. We were all pleasantly surprised to learn that a few years ago, she took the time to write a letter to the family and address each family member personally. She always did get the last word! =) She was so very wise, and her words will stay with me forever.

Well friends, job hunting sucks.

I have never had to job hunt before. I used to think this was a good thing, but now I am at a disadvantage. I had worked for my family's company straight out of high school. As soon as I graduated college I began working there full-time. I haven't interviewed for a job in over 10 years...since I was in high school and worked at our local Mail Boxes Etc. to be exact {I am aware of the cool factor} I have also never written a cover letter until last week. These traits make the hunt a little tough and even though I am college educated, I am finding myself feeling less than adequate. A little disheartening.

I am networking, using contacts, online postings, company's websites, staffing companies and craigslist. Craigslist has resulted in a bunch of BS. I have replied and sent resumes to listings, only to get the following response. "We are sorry, that position has been filled, but we do have an opening for working at home and earning 1,500 dollars per day... Does that sound like something you would be interested in?"

Oh yes! Sign me up please! Except that its a load of crap.

In other news, I feel like I am having a quarter life crisis. This whole job hunt has brought on immense pressure. At first I was just looking for a job, but its like I'm hunting for my life's calling, which I already feel like I am doing. Unfortunately, staying at home is not enough at the moment and photography is not steady enough to rely on. Quite the predicament.

Any job suggestions for me??

Moving on, does anyone watch Pretty Little Liars? I have become so involved in this show. I have seen all episodes except for the pilot, which is why I am still a little confused on the current plot... yet I cant stop watching. If you watch, who do you think A is?? What happened in the pilot?
In other show news, The girls on the Bachelor are starting to get nutty and desperate. So bad, but so entertaining! I love it when they get crazy!

I hope everyone had a great weekend! This week I have to continue the job hunt and get on planning my baby's first birthday! Where has time gone!?

"They're Just Men..."

My Grandparents on their wedding day
{This was actually two photos of each of them individually that I had to photoshop together. The only wedding photo of them "together" because the rest were ruined}

That little lady next to her honeymoon get away car is my Nannie, Sue Keating. I am pretty sure that at this point, she had no idea what she was getting herself in to! A kind hearted classy lady that married a loud opinionated cajun sailor. Through her many years of marriage and raising his four children, she definitely learned a thing or two. Here is a little bit of what I learned from her.

• A woman should have a signature scent. Her's was Estee Lauder White Linen. I could never smell that again and not think of her.
  
• A good book is all you need to escape for awhile. She was an avid reader that probably read thousands of books.
• Red lipstick, I remember playing with hers in her vanity growing up.
  
• She taught me how to crochet and appreciate family heirlooms. She made all of her grandchildren blankets. We got to pick the colors, which made it special{mine is pink and mint green... my childhood favorite colors}
  
• She really couldn't cook, but she could bake, which I think is better.
  
• She made amazing lemonade. Her's was so sweet that you nearly had to chew it. I still tend to prefer mine extra sweet for this reason.
• She also made killer sweet tea, no telling how many cups of sugar were in a pitcher!
• She was tolerant and patient. I can only imagine that my grandpa was not an easy man to live with, but she always seemed at ease... maybe that's why she read so much!? haha!
• She picked her battles. With an opinionated husband and four children, she hardly ever got her feathers ruffled. I think this is key to a successful marriage.
• She taught me family loyalty. When she first met Brad and we were newly engaged, she threatened his life if he ever hurt me, and meant EVERY word. This is still a conversation that he remembers vividly!
  
• Greatest of all, she had a philosophy that I still carry with me today. It was her very simple outlook on men. She would always say "They're just men, you cant expect much" How true! I quote it multiple times a week.

She was a sweet and humble lady.
Tonight she went to be with Jesus. Her faith became sight and I am sure it was the most glorious sight!

Working Mom??

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been posting so sporadically lately. I usually get in a little blogging during nap time, but the past few weeks my nap times have been filled with other ventures.

Venture #1
My NEW AND IMPROVED photo site!!!

Please offer your opinions!! It is still in the beginning stages and just getting this far has taken a lot of time. Hats off to all of you blog/ web designers out there. All of the html jargon is exhausting!

Venture #2
I have a new photography facebook page! Once again, still in the early stages... but I would appreciate if you "like" me!
Facebook Page

Venture #3
Job hunting...

Unfortunately, it seems that my time as a stay at home mom is coming to an end. I haven't wanted to mention anything, because I tend to think that if I avoid something, it wont happen... Mature, I know.
It has taken me a few weeks to come to grips with this. I LOVE being a stay at home mom. I am so thankful that I have been able to stay home the first year of Keating's life, but living on one paycheck just isn't cutting it anymore. At first every time I thought of leaving him during the day, the tears would flow and I would get a huge lump in my throat. Now I have actually been able to move on to job hunting and searching for childcare. Am I happy about this... umm, no. But I will do whatever my family needs me to do, and that is find a job to help support our family.
It probably seems a little confusing that I am promoting my photography right when I am trying to go back to work. Well, here is my reasoning. Right now, photography doesn't pay the bills. It isn't steady, and until it is {if ever} then I have to find something else to do. Make sense?

Do any of you working moms have any valuable information or suggestions? I know this is going to be a very hard adjustment for Keating and me... {Fighting back the tears...} I would appreciate any tips you have or if you have been there and feel my pain, then you can commiserate with me!

Studio Inspiration

My mind is in constant overdrive these days about home decorating and things that I plan to do for our house when we move. One of which is my very own personal art room/studio/office! I always have projects laying around the house, my photography work has no home, and it would be great to have a space for it all.

I would love for the decor in the room to be feminine yet have a funky modern vibe. Something that is completely me and stands out from the rest of our home. I have been looking at modern dining room furniture to give the space a non-traditional feel. I want it to feel more contemporary and artistic than a typical office space. These Alchemia chairs would be the perfect accent to a large work table or desk. I love pink, and in a house full of boys, I won't have many other places to use my favorite color.
Pink is usually thought to be a childish color, but I think that it can be used in an adult manner.

This sleek table makes the pink accents look very grown up.


This modern dining room set balances the busyness of all of the craft supplies with a clean simple seating area. The pink accents are just that, accents. They blend in nicely with the decor.
Although I am not sure I could go this overboard with pink, the modern furniture definitely toughens up the femininity a bit.

If you could have your own space, what color would you make it? How would you decorate it?

House Inspiration

For those that are new around here and have been wondering why we are living in my parents basement, basically... we inherited Brad's childhood home after his father passed away. His mom couldn't take care of the maintenance on her own, so she moved in with a friend and we have been renting it for the last year. In the mean time we rented my house that I bought before we got married. We were starting to get crammed in our little condo-esque community and decided to move into Brad's parents house. The house is a lot more living area with a large yard, and no strict community rules.

We have been waiting for the current renters to move out so that we can get in there and get to work! We are going to refinance the house {an old ranch} and do some remodeling/ renovating. So I will share the images I have been saving for the past 6 months while we have been inhabited with my parents. =)

I love open shelving

I am always inspired by Pottery Barn. I also love gallery walls. My grandparents had one growing up and we always loved looking at it when we visited.

I fell so in love with this photo, that Brad got me a 1930's church pew for Christmas! I hope we can find the perfect spot for it!

I have been loving greige neutrals lately. We will be painting a lot of gray!

This picture is from the movie The Holiday. I just love Cameron Diaz's house in the movie! I love the black doors and how all of the neutrals play off of each other. I actually just realized her bf in the movie sleeping on the couch! haha!

This is another view of the room.

I love this house because it has a lot of similar features that we hope to include in our home. Nice beams, and we have a baby grand piano that I am not sure how to incorporate. Especially since neither of us play piano!

Some of our cabinetry will most likely be painted black. I think black is so classic.

As small as it is in the photo, I love the vanity in the bathroom.

More open shelves. Seeing a trend?

Open shelves, black cabinets, and a nice pot rack.

I have a lot more photos, but I dont want to bombard y'all at once. I also dont want to count my chickens before they hatch... So those will have to wait!

New faces

Wow, I am a slacker. I can't believe this is my first post of the year! We had a nice little new years eve and spent a quiet evening with friends at home. It is funny how our New Years Eve plans have completely changed over time. Most of us were fighting our eyelids around eleven, but we managed to see the peach drop!

I realized that I never posted photos of Keating at 10 months... Once again, slacker. Honestly, I didn't even take the photos until yesterday! So these photos are ten-ish months.

He has started making this hilarious face that is usually accompanied by a fake laugh. Such a character!

Keating and Lola hardly like having their photo taken together anymore. This was the best I could get of them both sitting still, they are much to crazy for photos.

Every time I see that look, I crack up!

This week Keating had the pleasure of going with his friend Gianna on a play date. We took them to play on the playground, which oddly he wanted nothing to do with. He did want to flirt with Gianna though! They had a romantic picnic where she fed him Cheerios. Ahh young love!

They had a great date.

But then she started to show a little interest and he was done. Typical man!!! He did get his first little kiss from her though. I should totally write it in his baby book!

He has been very busy this past month. Four teeth are ALMOST in. I have seen tiny white tips for over a month now and it is seriously getting old. He is the SLOWEST teether ever. He has also been busy jabbering up a storm. He randomly said "daddy" but regularly says "Lola" and "uh oh"

He has also really developed a taste for Lola's food. Weird kid.

I can't believe he is almost 11 months old! Time has FLOWN by. I guess I should get busy planning a birthday party!