Bacon

via Bacon on Facebook

Who doesn't LOVE bacon?  We love it.  I have a home full of boys who love it and always ask for it when we eat out.  They say, "I'll have anything that has bacon".  Well we found a place that has bacon on the menu with everything!  Devan turned 15 Saturday and we decided to eat at Bacon.  As they say at Bacon, "Swine Time Is Always A Fine Time."  And well let me tell you, it was! Michael and I ordered the Double Grind and it was sooo good.  You can taste bacon in every bite.  Yum!  The boys all ordered French Toast.  It was served with two extra thick slices of toast and bacon of course.  Ethan and Coen actually shared an order and they couldn't finish it.  I had no problem helping them finish it.  So yummy I tell you.  Are you listening?  This place is worth a try.  I would put it on your restaurants to try list. 

via

Esther

Belated Birthday Love

Photo taken by Leilani Rogers

I love your smile.  I love your eagerness to learn.  I love how you dive into books.  You have always loved to read.  When you were 2 or 3 you would prefer me to read to you than watch a fun TV show.  You also love to bake.  A boy after my own heart.  You are now in the double digits.  The big 10.  My how the time has passed.  You have this way of getting along with everyone.  I love the hugs that you give and the way you look after Coen.

i love you...

♥Mom

Happy Birthday Devan!

Photo taken by Leilani Rogers

I love it when you pretend not to like it when I smother you with hugs and kisses.  I know you pretend because I see how hard you try not to smile but you do, a little one that only I can see.  I enjoy seeing the sweet moments when you are kind and loving to your brothers.  I absolutely love the music you create and learn and bring into our home.

I love you.

♥ Mom

Good Use of Furniture



 


































                           via The Selby

This is a great use of furniture.  How lovely to see your shoes displayed in a fabulous piece of furniture.

And what about displaying all your purses in an armoire.  I love this idea.  Isn't this closet just beautiful?  Ah heaven...To have a closet set up this way.  I would feel like I was shopping everyday.  I need to remember this closet and use it once the kids start moving out.  I do have a long way to go but who says you can't dream.

via Design Sponge



Today I Like

via Design Sponge

Today I like this headboard and cute little pillow with birds.  It is too cute!  This picture just makes me want to jump in and snuggle up.

Esther

Family Pictures



Via Leilani Rogers





Last weekend my dear friend Leilani came by our home and took some family pictures.  She has recently decided to change direction with her photography.  She is now doing lifestyle photography.  I love this type of photography as it captures the fleeting moments you love so much and don't ever want to forget.  I saw her this morning for our usual Saturday run and she mentioned that she had posted our pictures last night.  Well when I got home I rushed to the computer and was blown away.  I swear we spent all morning looking at these pictures over and over again.  I just LOVE them.  She did such an amazing job.  We absolutely LOVE the pictures.  You need to go to her website and look at the rest.  She does amazing work.  Did I mention that I LOVE the pictures?
Leilani, thank you so much. (((hugs)))  Run over and take a look.

♥ Esther

Art

Hello!

I happend to visit 20x200 and saw this artwork titled prettymaps (paris) by Aaron Sraup Cope (P.S. you'll need to see it on 20x200, it has a better picture there).  I really like it.  I would really love to visit Paris one day and this would be beautiful to hang on my wall until I do and did I mention it's pink!



via 20x200



Pretty...

Esther

Jewelry

I've been thinking about jewelry lately and I found this website,

Katie Waltman Jewelry.  Her jewelry is pretty, it's just what I've been wanting lately.  Hopefully my husband will read this and take a little hint.  I have my favorites below.



Aqua Chalcedony and Leaf Necklace





Aqua Chalcedony Teardrop



Gold Dipped Aqua Earrings

Hammered Teardrop

Gold Pomegranate Earrings

What do you think?

Esther

Here it is...

Here is the new addition to our living room.  I'm trying to figure out what fabric to use reupholster with.  I also want to make it a little more comfortable.  I'm thinking a maybe a grey or oatmeal color will do and maybe add some buttons across the back.  I wonder if I could add a cushion down the bottom or if I should just use pillows to add comfort.  What do you think?

Here are some ideas.

via Crate and Barrel



via Crate and Barrel




I can't remember where I saw this. 





via Mpix



via Feel Inspired  via DV 





Doesn't this couch look comfy?  I think it's the pillows.

Esther



DIY Ampersand

I was inspired to make this Kate Spade inspired ampersand when I saw it here at Caitlin Wilson Design.  That was a while ago.  I did get around to doing this a few weeks ago and am now posting it.  I want to put it on a wall in the living room.  I am not very good at accessorizing but I will give it a try soon.  I followed this tutorial at High-Heeled Foot in the Door and tweaked it a bit.  Instead of using the craft knife to cut the whole ampersand out I simply used scissors to cut the outside part of it and used the craft knife to cut the inside.  I originally bought acrylic craft paint.  I later realized that it may not withstand the exposure to light for too long so I bought some acrylic paint for paintings in Permanent Rose and filled the white part with Titanium White.  Instead of using a paint brush to paint the pink part I used a sponge brush.  This turned out to be a very easy project.  I am quite pleased with it. :)

 

♥ Esther



Splash day

I took the kids to Zilker Park to play but they did not want to play there.  They wanted to play in the water right by Barton Springs which is in the same area.  Baron Springs is a pool that is spring fed and is about 68 degrees year round.  The water was perfect for this hot summer weather. 

The boys like the dog in this picture.  He was sweet and friendly.

Barton Springs is on the other end of the fence.  There were lots of people out Friday afternoon.  We were there for a couple of ours and I didn't realize how hot it was until we got into the car.  I was burning up.  The water helped mask the heat.  The ground is full of rocks and my feet hurt walking on them.  I never was a child who could walk outside without shoes.  It's also slippery on the rocks so I need to remember my water shoes for next time.

We had this delicious treat that Michael brought us.

♥ Esther



Random

Before and After

While my parents were here visiting, my dad was reupholstering some chairs for a friend of mine.  I want to share the before and after pics.  The before pic of the sofa chair is awful, so I apologize in advance.  The chair was already being taken apart before I remembered to take a

picture.

Before

After

Before

After



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Sno Beach



I was not kidding when I said there is along line and Sno Beach.  See...And my cup of leche with cream sno cone is almost gone.  mmm...I can't wait to go back.

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So Co

We took my parents to So Co {South Congress} to visit Allens Boots.  They have over 300 boots in their store.  That is amazing.  I was surprised when I first stepped in the store.  My dad made boots for a living so I thought he'd get a kick out of it.

I like the boots third from the left.

And these.

Check out this out.  Pretty cool.

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Ethan lost a tooth.  What a cute smile.



It really was a busy week for us.

♥Esther

Green Sofa

I was out and about with my mother yesterday.  One of our stops was to the Singer store down Burnet Road and as we were leaving I spotted Uptown Modern across the street.  This store is great.  They sell vintage mid century modern furniture.  We strolled and browsed around outside before making our way inside and found a 1960s long green sofa.  I was so excited that I went home to get Michael for his opinion before buying it.  I do not have a picture of it now but when I get it home I will be sure to take one and share with you.

I know the color green is a bit bold but I plan on having my dad reupholster the sofa but not before I sport the green in my living room.  Who says a spunky green sofa won't work? 

Inside I saw this fuscia sofa

Photo via Uptown Modern

and this orange gondola sofa.

Photo via Uptown Modern

I felt like I was on the set of Austin Powers.  This store was fun to browse.

♥ Esther

Family Outings

It has been a few weeks since my last post.  Lets face it, it's going to happen...I will go a few weeks without a post.  So I will not make any promises about being better.  I will just try my best to post regularly. 

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Noble Pig Sandwiches

A couple of weeks ago we went and tried a new restaurant.  Noble Pig Sandwiches.  They have a great sandwich menu.  The food was delicious.  I swear I have driven by there thousands of times and have always missed it.  I ordered the Thai Chicken with jalapeno-cabbage slaw and cilantro. I loved the TNP Fresh Pickles it came with so much that I bought a jar to enjoy at home.  The kids orders come with a cute little pig sugar cookie! 



This photo by Ethan





Can you see the little cookie?



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South Padre Island

We went to visit family and friends last weekend and I took the kids to South Padre Island for a little while last Friday.  It was overcast that morning, that means a great setting for pictures.  The boys just loved it.  It was actually a little chilly and the water was cold.  We did not want to leave but we had too.  We'll be back later this summer.

We got to the beach through the Blue Water access.  The red flag means the water is rough and choppy.  I was very cautious with the kids.  It took me a good 20 minutes to chill out.  I was worried they would be pull under by an undertow.  It happened to me as a child when I was vacationing in Acapulco.  That was scary. 

This picture is a little dark.  I need to buy Photoshop.



Devan





The sun came out as we were getting ready to leave.  I wish I was back at South Padre Island.

Don't you?

Have a great weekend.

Happy 4th!!

♥

Esther