the city is a changin'

Waco, I'm so proud! Our little city is all a buzz with new, exciting plans to revitalize the downtown riverfront, and let me just say they are some pretty fabulous plans! I love this place and all it's little quirks, but I am so glad to see it growing! Waco is a pretty exciting place to be right now, and I can't wait to see how things develop in the coming years.

Check out the photos and video of what's in store for Waco! And try to ignore the creep-o announcer man and weird movie trailer music in the background. Not sure what they were thinking there.

mini vacay

buy this poster here

The boy and I are heading out on a little getaway soon! Destination? Biloxi, Mississippi. We'll be meeting my parents on the coast and visiting my brother who lives in the next town over. I'm excited about this trip for two reasons:

1. Most of our road trips these days include a backseat full of fur babies, and while Stella and Griffin make excellent travel pals, they definitely limit activities. Since we won't have pet accommodations in Biloxi, they'll be staying behind in a doggie hotel and we have the freedom to take our time, stop wherever we like along the way, and buy big items without worrying if we can get them home! Good stuff. 
2. I've never been to Biloxi! I'm excited to explore a new city and hoping we find a few gems hiding in the corners while we're down there.

I would love any recommendations on places to visit, things to do, restaurants to eat at...so if you know of any, send em' on over!

list love: summer edition

We have officially reached my most favorite season of the year. Happy first day of summer!!! I love the warm temperatures, long days, and laid back schedules of summer. It's the season of relaxing, recharging, and eating fruit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What's not to love? These are some of the things I've picked up in the last few weeks, and I'm quite sure I'll be loving them all summer long.

1. Last summer I switched my usual scent for this sweet, beachy bit of wonderful and I'm still pretty much obsessed with it. I couldn't wait for the weather to warm up enough for me to start wearing it again this year. I'd wear it to bed if it wasn't so expensive. It smells like drinks on the patio of a tropical resort and reminds me of my honeymoon. Goooood stuff. 
2. Oh avocado, how I love thee. You're a pretty color, require very little preparation, and make everything taste better. Chips and guacamole are a recurring meal around here these days, and I don't expect that to change anytime soon.  
3. I tried my luck with the high-wasted trend this season and I think I'm a fan. I added these J. Crew pieces to my closet aanndd they make me happy every time I catch a glance. What more can you ask for in a swimsuit? 
4. I love having long hair...I hate dealing with it. The less maintenance the better, especially in the summer. I've tried my fair share of wave sprays and have even tried making my own. While I definitely have my favorites, I'm always on the hunt for something better. When The Beauty Department published an article claiming that this Victoria's Secret spray was the go-to beach spray for lazy girls, I knew I had to try it. While I've only used it a handful of times, so far I'm a fan! It doesn't leave my hair as soft as I would like, but my waves look great and are long lasting. Also, it's only $12.00. Yes, please. 
5. About three years ago I decided it was probably time I got serious about protecting myself from the sun or else condemn myself to elephant skin in a few decades. Not cute. While I no longer "tan" and wear sunscreen daily, I still want that glow like everyone else. These little guys help me darken up without streaks or skin damage. They're travel friendly, affordable, and I love them. 
6. I'm on summer vacation until mid-August, which means I don't have to wake up early or get dressed for work for two.whole.months. It's glorious. I'm living in shorts these days, and J. Crew makes great ones. I have these pleated beauties in teal and adore them. They're flattering and comfortable, which keeps me from wearing athletic shorts everyday. (Your welcome, husband.)

Also-----> I joined Bloglovin! You can follow me here!

observations from my first {almost} week at home

• days are much shorter than I originally thought
• motivation to work out does not magically appear once you have time to commit to the activity
• a made bed makes my whole day a little happier
• I'm a pretty good cook
• organized spaces, while daunting, are worth the time and effort
• my dogs are the laziest

home glimpses

One of my goals for the summer is to make some serious headway on this little house of ours.
Over the past few months we've been collecting little things and trying them in various places around the house. Things feel like they're starting to come together!

One of my goals is to get some color on the walls. Right now, everything is brown. Brown brown brown. And I'm thinking we need some green...and some blue...and maybe some good ole' white around here.

I'm also loving the colors here, here, here, and here. So I'll keep things updated on that gigantic little project as we start moving forward. I'm thinking this place is going to be pretty darn cheery once we're finished!

hello summer!

Oh summer...you sly devil. What took you so stinking long!
It is officially summer break over here (for one member of the family at least)!!! And let me just tell you, that family member is oh-so excited.

We capped off summer around here by hosting some of our most favorite Alabamians for a few days. It was so fun to have a house full of people! I loved showing them around Waco and Austin, and was sad to see them off this morning. I may have eaten a second cinnamon roll in my sadness...which I'm probably going to regret come time for my long overdue meeting with the treadmill...

Today the skies are dark and rain is on the way. I'm planning to ring in this first solo day of summer with an extra cup of iced coffee, some internet shopping, and a little laundry. I may even get a little crazy and break out the sewing machine! The sky is the limit.