Hello Houston!

Howdy y’all!

I am back from an exciting weekend with a great friend.

We drank, ate, shopped, crafted, laid out, and chatted – needless to say it was perfect!

Friday night we met at the airport, where she picked me up and we headed to a birthday party and then out to a fun country bar. This isn't your average honky tonk, this one includes a whole new take on the mirror ball.

 

The one thing we HAD to do was stop by High Fashion Fabrics and walk all FOUR stories of this fabric mecca. I may or may not have come home with some great finds.

The thing about this store is not only did have rows and rows of fabric bolts but it also had all sorts of amazing home décor furniture and accessories. Be Still My Heart.

After shopping Saturday we headed to Central Market for gourmet burgers and live music. Heaven. Seriously. The weather was great, the conversation was interesting, and the food was sooo tasty

 

Sunday was lots more great food and shopping with a little side of crafting. It’s the majority of my favorite things all wrapped into one. I headed back late last night and grabbed that puppy dog from a friend on my way home. He’s now the cutest shaved schnauzer you ever did see – but that deserves its own post

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Life in an Insta–take two

I have been an awful blogger this week – terrible in fact.

Don’t hate me, please. I promise to be better next week.

Here are some upcoming projects to peak your interest: Dining room chairs paint/upholster, desk overhaul, hutch facelift, siding vs paint, straw bale gardening (time to plant), and a dog bed for the newest addition.

No one has called on that cute face this week – so I have officially adopted him. Murphy now has tags, a collar, leash, and is getting groomed and checked up today.

This is his “I'm not sure about this petco place, ma'” face

I started to feel a little guilty buying stuff for him and nothing for my diva cat – so she got a new collar too

So now we have two new collared kids in this house. One, however, loves car rides A LOT more than the other…

Goodness hes a filthy pup. Just you wait until he gets all handsome – those neighborhood girls wont be able to contain themselves no chain link fence can hold them back.

In other news, I drank the best tea yesterday – plus side is that it came in a glass bottle that had “homemade goodness” etched into it. Like any good DIY-er I saved the bottle for a future unknown project that might surface in a few months or years…

It was a stay later than 6pm and work through lunch kind of week – this chick is excited to leave the office early today and head to Houston. Y’all my excitement cannot be contained!

And just for giggles lets look at that sweet face one last time

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Lost and Found

As I write this I have a new friend curled up at my feet.

Quietly sleeping.

He thinks I hung the moon and wants to stay right by my side. Normally, this type of outward up front show of affection freaks me out. But lets be serious, who can resist this face

Look how scraggly that baby looks. A friend from work found this sweet boy hanging out in a bank parking lot with no home in site. She quickly grabbed him up to make sure he didn’t get into trouble. Now it’s the hunt to find his mommy.

Want to know more about him?

The best car rider EVER. He just laid down and slept. Unfortunately, hes not micro chipped and has not a collar or tag one. After getting a bath it was quickly discovered he brought a few friends with him – fleas. Wah Wah. Come to find out there is a little pill that you can give your dog or cat and the fleas literally fall off them. Both him and Maggie got a dose and are now sleeping like the cute little babies they are.

 

It looks like he has been groomed in the last month or two so I am positive his parents are out there searching for him. Now just to find them…

Know anyone looking for the sweetest Schnauzer ever? He knows how to sit and lay down and I am pretty sure the kid is potty trained too.

I think we are spending today calling groomers and vets around the area to see if his parents have been looking high and low.

That’s his, “I hope you have a good day” face

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Straw Bale Gardening

 

Yep, you read that right.

I am taking on a new project. Have you heard of it before? The thought behind a straw bale garden is that the straw bale acts as a natural compost. You can read more here and here.

The whole compost part of the straw bale is great but what I like most is that it is a raised garden without actually building a raised garden.

via

You see… I have little bunny rabbits that run around in my back yard pretty often and I think they would love an herb dinner. Plus, I really don’t have a clue where I would want to put a permanent garden but this isn't permanent rather seasonal.

So, stage one of the garden

I got the bales at a smaller home improvement store for $6.99 each. The compost (mushroom), blood meal, and soaker hose all came from good ole Lowes.

After digging a bit to get the bales on level ground, I placed them in their intended spot right next to the porch. Supposedly, if you can put them against something it helps to keep the moisture in. For me the cement porch served as a great back board.

After I laid on the compost and blood meal I made sure to water the bales extremely well. The water helps to “cook” the bales and get the break down of the bales started which in turn helps the composting to start.

The soaker hose is quite a bit longer than my bales I decided to coil them on the top. Seems to work just fine.

After this week of “cooking” I should be able to plant my herbs and veggies – I am thinking maybe next Monday or Tuesday.

I like this kind of gardening – no tilling, no building, no fences – just put out a bale and get to work.

Anyone else giving their green thumb a test drive?

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Life in a Insta

I have this new obsession.

Instagram.

Its an app on the Iphone (and now android) – most of you know about it and use it. I, however, only used it to “edit” pictures I took with my phone. Then one day it dawned on me – I can follow people and see everyone else’s instagrams. Its like stalking taken to a whole new level. Creepy but cool.

Anyways, here is my life lately in a Insta!

Who knew Garden Ridge had it in them to actually sell cool stuff… I was dumb founded

This was in my grandparents apartment. I think its true – she’s hanging out in a special place now

Because everyone wants to go to the doctor when they are on bereavement

Step. Awesome

Cutest Cupcake liners for the cutest cupcakes

It’s a hard life being that precious

Bloom

A seriously hard life

Told you they were the cutest cupcakes. Made for a jungle themed babyshower

Drying out my recently washed ziplock bags – no use throwing them away. Its official – I have become my grandmother

Bloom

These were EVERYWHERE on this plant. Kind of crazy

A Tree grown into a bush on the side of mi casa. Operation “Tree extraction” begins tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Gods gift to mankind.

Happy Weekend friends! If you’d like to see my happenings in real time follow me on intagram (Twentyonefiftynine) See you back here Monday with some fun new projects!

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Bloom

My house is full of such pretty blooms lately. Even better than the gorgeous colors and vibrant textures – the smell. These flowers are so fragrant!

Its rare for me to actually buy cut flowers to arrange at my house. This is no exception. I didn’t buy these beauties but instead was gifted them after my grandmothers funeral last Friday.

Looking at them reminds me of how joyful she was even though she had to live daily with physical disabilities that would make the normal person go insane. Not only did she have heart failure that labored her breathing, but she also had diabetes and was unable to really express what she was thinking due to three large strokes in the 80s. Not in 20+ years had my grandmother really been able to express what she felt, needed, thought, or desired. She managed small words pieced together that brought on a guessing game by all those around her.

Today when I look at those pretty flowers I think of her in Heaven singing and chatting and being able to finally say exactly what she’s thinking.

What a sigh of relief she must feel to finally be able sing again…to bloom.

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