Harvest Time

Just another Manic Monday....

15 minutes late for work, forgot my IPhone at home, forgot to make something for the potluck today which led to a quick trip to the store, etc, etc.  Monday stuff.

I swear every time I start to feel a little grown up and like I am getting it together, the universe gives me a day like today to remind me that I am a 30 year- 5 year old and don't have any of my stuff together.

Speaking of crazy 5 year olds, the Fella and I had my twin 5 year old nephews all weekend.  On Saturday we also had my 6 year old nephew for a few hours.  We took them to see Thor in 3D. 

It was great but holy energy Batman.  As in I have none and they have massive quantities.  To just run for no reason again.  No lion chasing you.  No cheesecake in front of you.  No marathon to train for.  Just running to feel your legs moving and to rejoice in the fact that you are able to do so.  Real 5 year olds have it together way more than I ever will. 

Back to that feeling grown-up thing, after we took the twins home on Sunday we came home and did a few hours of yard work.  We had not planned it all.  The weather was just so glorious that we gravitated outdoors and just began to work.  It is an amazing feeling to put love into and to improve something you love, like your home. 

I was weeding and realized that I had fallen behind on acorn patrol.  Acorns sprout little trees easily if not kept an eye on.  They grow fast and deep.  It is really hard to get them out due to the little nut still being attached as they grow.  But look how cool they look when you pull them out intact.

I am so weird, I know, but I love roots.  I think they are so intricately beautiful.

Look at the pods that fell from my wisteria. 

How alien are these?  They grow underneath and hang there for months. They are huge and hard as rocks.  I couldn't even cut one open to see what was inside. They are toxic to pups so I have to remove them once they fall.  They were a beautiful light green this summer.

Our two bushes have minds of their own and would take over the neighborhood if I let them.

With temperatures finally out of the 80's and all the rain we have been getting, my herb/veggie garden is exploding. 

Rosemary

How cool is this pic below?  I didn't even see the bee when I was taking the picture.

Our Bay Leaf tree is getting huge. Anyone need any? Come and get it.

Onion Chives

Onion Chive, Parsley and Oregeno

Curry and Oregeno

The most amazing surprise was our jalapeno tree.  We got one pepper all summer and now there are about 25 jalapenos and jalapeno buds.

We made some great nachos and guac with a few of them last night.  Holy cow, they were HOT!!

What did you do this weekend?

Not so very grown-up,

tbg

In the green

This month’s featured home belongs to my aunt and uncle, M&M.  It is their get-a-way house sitting on a hill in a petrified forest in Southeast Texas.  Surrounded by green succulents and petrified wood, amongst deer and other shy wildlife.  It is really dreamy.

The home was a midcentury with all of the original details. They renovated it but paid homage to its era.  My uncle has flawless taste.  I call him the Renaissance man. Although his day job is practicing the law, he is also a painter, photographer, musician, singer, should be interior decorator and stylist.  His talents are endless. I mean, how cool do you have to be to pull off this look?

Pretty damn cool.  Speaking of cool, check out the house...

 

He has an unbelievable eye and he and my aunt curate beautiful pieces of art and other décor that make my heart race.  I think of the furniture as works of art themselves. My uncle has a knack for mixing old and new and making nostalgic pieces feel fresh and reborn. 

 

 

The real stunners of the interior are the bedrooms.  They are luxurious and layered and they make you want to curl up in them with a cappuccino and mounds of books.

The grounds are the kind that make you want to pack a lunch and a notebook and go on long nature walks collecting things while recording your finds.

M&M have collected things from their wanderings and displayed their treasures as works of art themselves.  If you know me at all, you know how I cherish collections like I just described.

 

My favorite area is the covered "porch", for lack of a better word.  This picture does not do justice to the amazing details of the salvaged painter's table.  But when do pictures ever do justice to Heaven on Earth?

Here is their baby Arthur La Rouge.  Isn't he adorable? 

Their every day home is an inspiration as well.  I only have one picture of that home, and it is of my favorite room in the house and one of my favorite rooms ever...my uncle's office.

My aunt and uncle mean so much to me and have taught me so many things.  I feel like they have helped me grow as a person and I am happy to become their friend and not just their niece. Like me, they like to surround themselves with things they think are beautiful and make them happy. 

My aunt is the kind of woman who never wants to stop learning.  She is eager to see the world in a whole new light and from other people's perspectives.  I think of her as someone who likes to constantly improve upon themselves, if that makes sense.  She never rests on who she is or what she knows. She likes to read and learn and grow.  I love that about her.

Plus she is really fun to party with once she gets a little St. Germain in her....

Dreaming of days in the Green Gables,

tbg

Chicken Soup for the Soul Days

It’s Friday and it feels so good!! 

This weekend I am heading to a going away party for a friend of mine.  She and her family are moving to Australia.  Jeals?  Me too.

I have known this chickadee for about 23 years and I so amazed by the woman she has become.  She is an amazing mother, wife and business owner…..oh and can cut a rug like nobody’s business.

I had a little girl’s night gathering at my house a few weeks ago to get some good gab time in with her before she left.  It was one of those good for the soul nights I talked about here. 

 

We have all known each other for more than half of our lives so we decided it would be fun to bring all of our old photo albums over and go through them together  Holy cow did we have some gems.  We threw all of the "best worst" pics into a pile and then picked a winner at the end of the night.

This weekend all of her friends and family will be headed out to downtown Ft. Worth for some food and libations to say goodbye.  We are starting the night out at the Woodshed.  If you are in the area you need to check this place out.  It is so good!

It will be a bittersweet evening I am sure.  I will be so sad to see her leave but I am so excited for the journey she has in front of her.

Last weekend I got to see my lovely Karles who I had not seen since March.  Slash was able to make it out too.  I had them over for brunch on Sunday.  It was beautiful out so we got to lounge around on the patio eating quiche and chocolate babka.  Mimosas may have also been involved.  Another chicken soup for the soul day for sure. We discussed life, love, boys and business.  It was simply sensational.

 

This weekend I will also be getting some new furniture for my dining and bar area!  My mother is giving me some of her pieces that I have had my eye on for a while.  I am very excited.

This is what the area looks like now…..

 

That may all change very soon. Cannot wait to show you some pics of what is yet to come!

Have a wonderful weekend and get yourself some chicken soup for your soul!

Chicken noodle please,

tbg

Backyard BaByQue Couples Shower

It is about time I share some pictures from the Backyard BabyQue I hosted at my home a few weeks ago.

The shower was a couple’s shower for my college teammate and roommate. I love this girl like a sister and our husbands love each other like bros. We really wanted it to be special.

Besides how can you not reward behavior like this at our wedding from the Daddy-to-be???

 

And how cool of the Mama-to-be was it to surprise me in New Orleans for my Roaring Out of My 20's 30th birthday party this year dressed in a vintage flapper dress???!!

 

She had a bun in the oven and didn't lnow it yet!

Plus we just love these guys.

Ok so, as I explained back in this post here, I went with a pink and blue theme for a little spin on the traditional blue and red bar-b-que them.  I also added in rustic touches here and there to give it that backyard bar-b-que feel.

We used the hot tub as the main serving space.  I covered the hot tub with butcher paper and then glued cute baby themed wrapping paper around the edges to give it a table cloth feel. 

I used old wine crates, watering cans, a pepper plant, mason jars and succulents to add a little "outdoorsy" in the mix.  These were things I already had in the backyard.

 

Another example of a rustic "backyard" touch was using a wheelbarrow and galvanized bucket to hold gifts.

 

Please excuse the dog crate in all of the pictures!  We removed it before the party.....I hope.

The drink station was my favorite area of the backyard...

We served a mixture of drinks on top of a vintage bar filled with bar supplies.

The seating was simple; we covered long tables with butcher paper and then ran wrapping paper down the middle as table runners.  We topped the tables off with pink flowers in blue mason jars.

And now for the most delicious part of the evening......the cake.

 
In case you cannot read the top of the cake, despite my amazing picture taking skills, it says "Bun is in the oven! Burgers on the grill!"  How cute is this cake???  And look at these orange dreamsicle cupcakes.

 

 

So cute and so yummy.  If you are in the DFW area a need a cake and/or cupcakes, look up my girl Lane.  You can find her on Facebook, her page name is Obsessions Bakery.  Or you can just shoot me a message and I will hook it up.

The most fun area of the backyard was our little make-shift "Guess the Gender Photobooth"...

Guests were provided props that allowed them to put their two cents in on what the gender of the baby would be...and it was really a good time!

Just a few fun examples! 

All in all it was a fun night.  The fella was happy because the beer pong table was broken in....until 3 a.m.!!!

Class.  Pure class.

Thanks to the ladies who threw the shower with me!  Y'all were so amazing and worked so hard!

Now mommy and daddy to-be, close your eyes real tight and make a wish.....

....for the baby boy or girl of your dreams!  We love you!

So excited to meet Baby "G"!

tbg