Roundtop

Well I'm happy to report my trip to Roundtop was a success! My mom and I woke up at the crack yesterday, grabbed our caffeine and were on our way. The drive was beautiful, as always, and I was happy to see some bluebonnets already showing their faces :) We got started and I found this piece within about 30 minutes of being there. I wasn't quite sure how to feel after having to search for hours in years past for that first purchase. Either way, I knew it was love and that it would fit perfectly in the spot I was looking to fill. I bought this beautiful antique piece pictured here at the top (apparently from New York) and I already love the way it looks in my living room. I was so excited about the great find, I felt certain I wouldn't find anything else I had to have. Then I saw this precoius little chair. Aside from the frabric (which I will be replacing), it's too cute! Such character and charm packed into one little piece. It was a great day, complete with having lunch with Shelbo and her mom, coming home with some great finds (which barely fit in my Jeep) and some sun on my skin!

The Help

Last night I finished my current read, The Help. This was a phenomenal book and I'm almost sad to be finished with it! The story takes place in the 60s in Mississippi when racial segregation was still a major issue. I instantly became enamored with the characters and felt the tension they dealt with on a day to day basis because of the times. I highly recommend this book. It's challenging, inspirational and a total page turner!

A Spring Favorite

The spring weather lately has been too perfect to resist! I have been outside every chance I get. Recently I was in the mood for a light, tasty dinner, perfect for eating outside. I tried out Better Homes and Gardens fish tacos and loved them. Such fresh ingredients!

Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce
1 lb fresh tilapia or catfish fillets
3 limes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 t chili powder
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
8 small flour tortillas (I used HEB's delicious wheat tortillas)
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 small carrots, peeled and shredded
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, thinly sliced

1. Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. For lime sauce, juice two of the limes into a bowl (cut remaining lime into wedges for serving). Stir mayonnaise and chili powder into juice. Remove 1/3 cup sauce and toss fish in it.
3. In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil over medium heat. In shallow dish combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with a third of the fish at a time, lightly toss in flour mixture and add to hot oil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until fish flakes, turning to brown evenly and adding additional oil as needed. Drain on paper towels.
4. Wrap tortillas in paper towels; heat in microwave 30 seconds. Top tortillas with fish, cabbage, carrots and jalapeno. Drizzle with lime sauce. Pass lime wedges. Makes 4 servings.

Yum!

Spring!

Well spring has officially sprung at our house! Slowly but surely, buds are forming, flowers are blooming and the butterflies are paying their visits. There is something so sweet about spring. It's so relaxing to just take a walk through the yard, enjoy the gorgeous weather and appreciate new beginnings.

These are dianthys in all sorts of colors we just planted near the front door. They are so cheerful and add a lot of charm to the entryway.
Here, we planted lavender (which already smells amazing) and rosemary. I'm excited to have fresh rosemary to cook with again!
The roses are starting to bloom these gorgeous, full blooms all over the yard. Here is a white rose.
Here are some of the azaleas--they are just bursting with color!

And finally, here's one of the latest additions. It's a night blooming jasmine. This is planted right outside the kitchen window and should attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The yard is starting to take shape and the flowers add so much beauty! I must say, I am already looking forward to the long days, catching some rays, and enjoying God's creation to the fullest :)

One of my favorite pastimes

These photos simply make me smile! Ever since I can remember, I have just loved being outside in the sunshine. There's nothing quite as therapeutic and relaxing. The first photo was taken in College Station at Research Park. Tyler and I frequented that park all the time and let Snoop play with his friends (which sometimes involved getting in the water). This immediately takes me back to a very happy time, when things were sweet and simple.

Last weekend, we headed out to a park nearby with our boy and a picnic blanket. We enjoyed watching people interact, looking at the sky and soaking up the rays. This is what life's all about in my opinion! It's such a simple reminder that when I'm always looking for life to just slow down a bit so I can kick back and enjoy, all I really have to do is slow down a little bit :) I hope to visit the park a lot more this spring!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, friends! I hope you are all enjoying fun and creative ways to celebrate with the ones you love. Tyler and I did an early celebration this weekend. He treated me to a homemade dinner and anyone who has ever had the privilege of enjoying Tyler's cooking, knows what a great chef he is. I appreciate a homemade meal a-la Tyler over a 3 course meal at a fancy restaurant any day :) There is something incredibly romantic about it.

So, Tyler fixed braised short ribs, jicama slaw and green beans. As always, he displayed them all beautifully, even shaping the slaw into a heart (I mean really, who is this guy?!) For dessert, I made Martha Stewart's molten bittersweet-chocolate cakes. They were extremely easy to make and delicious with a cold glass of milk.

I knew Tyler had been busy working on something in the garage and I really had no idea what he was up to. Yesterday he presented me with my Valentine's gift (pictured above). He came up with the idea on his own (a little jealous of his creative abilities) and gave me 2 canvas prints with our sweet pets on them. We love our little family where we are right now, and this gift could not have been more thoughtful. I still have to decide where to display them but I'm thinking they will be on two tiny easels somewhere special in our home.

This was definitely a memorable Valentine's Day for me. I'm very blessed and so thankful everyday for a fun and love-filled marriage!

Our Kitchen Makeover

It's amazing what just a $25 can of paint can do to change the look of a room! The first image shows our kitchen the way it looked up until about a week ago. I really wanted a fresh, bright look for our kitchen. I love spending time in this part of the house and I find this cheery look both calming and welcoming. We went with the withering moss color from Lowes and could not be happier with the finished product! I'm pretty sure we'll end up painting the entire interior of our home and now we're just one room closer :)