Sunday Lunch

It feels like a long time since I have made lunch or dinner for my family.  I mean going through the effort of making it look nice and everyone actually sits around the table to eat.  Today I made a simple lunch, fish and corn.  Yup, no gourmet chef around here.;)  I enjoyed putting it together and having everyone come together and sit.  I also liked how easy it was to just set the food on a platter.  I normally use this nice serving dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas but today it was for Sunday lunch.  I got the idea from Everyday Food with Sarah Carey.  I love the daily recipes I receive along with a video on how to make it.  Looove it!!  I've noticed that she uses a platter quite a bit.  You should check it out and let me know what you think.  

I will be putting my serving dish to good use from now on...

♥ 

Esther     

The Boys and I



Coen totally bored and ready to leave.



  

Devan and Ethan waiting outside for The Cult to play in the Waterloo Records parking lot.

Shinny Toy Guns

I need to catch up on some things we've done so far.  Here is one of our outings as a family.  My hubs and D are music lovers and we always hit the streets when SXSW is happening. 

I was looking for parking and couldn't find any so I parked in the Anthropologie parking lot while two of my boys waited outside for The Cult.  I had some time before they were to start playing so I entered my most favorite shop ever.  And lucky Coen had to tag along.  Practically the whole time we were there he was asking, "Can we go yet?"  Well we eventually did and had to wait another hour before The Cult started.  I really wasn't supposed to park where I did but, I did because I was killing two birds with one stone.  Mom and the boys would be happy.  Luckily, we didn't get towed.  We had a great time and came back the next day for more.  We were able to see Shiny Toy Guns as well.  It's always a great time of the year when SXSW rolls around.

Esther

DIY Painted Jars & Tags



I got the idea to make painted jars from Anthropologie.  I was in their store one day and saw a display on a table and loved it!  I had a friend that had a birthday coming up and thought I could make one for her and use it as the wrapping for her gift.  The picture above is the finished product.  It was so easy to make.  I decided to use two paint colors for the gift and I used three for the last two I made.  I loved the way they came out!  The colors mix and swirl together beautifully.  I may use them again for gifts. 

I have a collection of jars that I have a hard time trowing away.  Do you have the same problem?  I wish our city recycled them.  I decided to used pink, yellow, and blue acrylic paint. 

1. I poured one color into the jar and swirled it around and let it drip down the sides. 
2. Then, I poured another color and repeated step 1.
3. And again with the third color.
4. I then turned the jar upside down onto wax paper and let the paint drip to the end of the jar for a few minutes.
5. Last, I let the jars sit upright overnight to dry and tada they were ready!

 In the last picture above, I made some tags by cutting scraps of paper and gluing onto the tag.  I changed my mind when I had left over acrylic paint from the jars.  I wasn't ready to throw it away so I painted the tags.  I love how the acrylic paint combined to make new pretty colors.  I now have a beautiful collection of tags to use for different occasions! :)

I now want to paint some sort of abstract painting.  I need to buy supplies for this next little project. 

I am no artist but I do come from a family who is.  My mother is a beautiful painter and so was my grandmother.



Grandmother's painting.




My mom's painting.



It's never too late to learn how to paint!

♥ Esther

Hello Spring!



Coen must have been 2 here.



I absolutely love spring, don't you?

When I think of spring, I think of color all around.  I love color!  My clothes and my home are full of color.  It really makes me happy.  Today I spent the day thinking of ways I could update my home.  I had some fabric laying around and laid a piece on my dining room table, on my credenza and tied some around a glass vase.  This will hold me over for a little while.  It's a nice quick way to update my home.  Have you made any changes to your home recently?

I popped into my local Target and oh my!  There is so much I want to buy.  The shoes are fabulous, I wanted to buy at least four pair.  The clothes were smiling brightly and beconing me to come buy.  I did buy a pretty tunic.  I also saw some bedding I'm not too sure about for the boys bedroom.  Their room needs updating as well.  Actually, I added an art wall.  All I did was tie up a piece of rope and used small craft pins to hold up the art work.  I do not have pictures of any of my little updates.  That will be homework for a later post. 

I just wanted to say hello. 

Hello!! 

:)

I wish I could make up my mind on an area rug for my living room.  I thought I wanted a jute rug from Ikea but upon seeing it I changed my mind.  Who knows, I may go back and buy it later.    

The picture above is of Coen while we vacationed in Aspen a few years ago.  Isn't he cute?  Children grow up so fast. 

I should have warned you about this post sooner.  This post should have been titled "Random Thoughts".  Do you agree?

Have a fabulous day!

xo

Esther

Art



"1" via Look Linger Love



I've been noticing a lot of beautiful art lately.  When I see beautiful art, I think of how lucky one is to be able to creat such beauty.  It is a wonderful talent to have.  I now want this piece of art by Kate Long Stevenson.  Too bad they are sold out.  I also like the one below.





"19" via Look Linger Love



What do you think?  Do you have any favorites?

xoxo

Esther

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