Lady Lenz

Deck the Halls

2011-12-12T18:50:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season to be jolly! In this house that is definitely the case! Chris and I have been so busy getting ready for family to visit that every weekend that passes we have a long list of to-do's to complete! Everything from touching up paint and the floors, to hanging lights, cleaning the garage and rearranging furniture. All those projects that we have been putting off has finally crept up on us and time is ticking! And I have to admit since we didn't decorate last year (lack of Christmas spirit) I am extra excited about this year and really don't mind doing all the minor things. Thanksgiving isn't the only time of the year to be thankful for things. This year I am thankful for all the crazy changes that have led us up to this point. We made some major changes to the house and its actually amazing looking back at the difference. I started a new job and loving every second of it! Chris has been busy moving up in his industry and doing such fabulous job! Chris and I went on multiple trips and enjoyed a fun filled year of events and memories! All in all 2011 has been a year to remember and it will be sad to see it go!

But before this year comes to an end (I'll save all the sappy stuff for New Years) here is a look at our winter wonderland of a house! It's been a blast setting it all up to be bright and cheery!

Our Manger

Santa's Key

Dear Santa, This magic key works just for you, Please open the door and come on through. Thank you for coming to our house tonight. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Thank you Santa for the gifts you bring. Thank you Lord for everything.

Glitter is all over this house!!!

Canvas is still on the to-do list!

This was actually our first Christmas tree!

Gotta love my Scentsy warmer

And now a view from outside...

Ho Ho Ho...

We hope you are having lots of holiday cheer this year!

We are checking off our list as Christmas is near!

xoxo

The Break is OVER

2011-11-03T16:37:00.000-05:00

Has it really been 4 months since I last posted something? When I said I was taking a little break from the blogging world or just a "summer break" I had no idea it was going to have lasted this long. I can't deny it though, it was a much needed break. So much has been going on in this world of ours since we last spoke. I guess I might as well just make it a bullet list. So here is goes...

Life in the design world has been truly a blessing and to say that you actually love what you do for a living is something that very few people can really say. I have learned so much in the process. We have done multiple kitchen remodels, decorated an entire home starting from nothing, fluffed a few homes and the list goes on and on! Loving my job is an understatement! To see just a few of the things we have been doing check out our website and don't forget to check out our blog as well!
Chris and I had a summer to remember! We did alot of traveling, which I can honestly say that we haven't done enough of it in the past but are surely enjoying it now. This year we have been to New Orleans, Panama City Beach, Vegas and a few more places still to come. We also have gotten to spend alot of time at my parents property which I absolutely love there!
The number of amazing concerts we have attended this year is outrageous! I am a music lover so this has just rocked! I have been sure to grab a tshirt from each band we have seen so that one day my kids will think that at one time or another I was actually cool!
I am still completely and totally addicted to Pinterest. Cannot get enough of it! See my stuff here!
Lots of physical changes have taken place in the Lenz Casa. We finished our hardwood floors (which I never got around to posting about), we refinished some amazing dressers, lamps and other fabulous items including a desk. I also inherited a stunning chair from my grandfather's house that I still have to get recovered but honestly can't decide on whether or not to do it but it still looks awesome as is. We hung a stunning light fixture in the kitchen and wow it made a huge impact to the room! This weekend we are installing some much needed curtains in the living room to give it a finished look. Still a house is never finished and I am not sure that it ever will be!
Chris has been a busy man. His work has been keeping his life stressed and never ending. However, life is too short to just work so he has made sure to fit lots of hunting, football games and other sports events into the mix. And to top it off he just turned 29 yesterday! He has one more year to accomplish whatever his heart desires to complete in his 20's.

Ok I don't want to bore you anymore with words so let's get the pictures rolling!!!

Vegas

The Amazing Hosts: Candice and Scott

We stayed in style at the Wynn

Panama City Beach

Lots of fun in the sun!

Being total goofballs!

And of course we did ALOT of drinking...

Other Fun Times!

The chair from my grandfather's

Yep my hunting man

My sweet friend Catherine at her wedding! She looked absolutely stunning!

Just us Lenz girls

And look at the cool "honeymoon suite" my dad created for us at the property lol

And last but not least...our Halloween costumes!

As you can tell we have been pretty busy. But I am officially back in the blogging world! Trust me there is so much more to come! xoxo

Life Planner LOVE!!!

2011-08-16T10:06:00.001-05:00

Is everyone having a fabulous summer? Ours has been fun, busy and eventful! With my new job, crazy schedule and fall events booking up fast I needed something to get my life in order. Have you heard of Erin Condren's Life Planners yet? If not you are missing out!

I ordered my life planner two weeks ago and guess what came in the mail yesterday?! I am obsessed with it! Even the packaging it came in was precious! Thanks Erin and your team for all your hard work!

Isn't it gorgeous! I love that I was able to have it personalized. So many times planners are generic but certainly not these!

I opened this beauty and each page is something wonderful and different!

And did I tell you about all the wonderful inspirational quotes!?

Stickers galore! Mark your special days...theirs multiple pages of these wonderful stickers!

I even went out to get colored pens! Have to color code my life right, lol!?

I have already been filling my pages full of fun, appointments, vacations and more!

Busy..busy..busy

And did you see the tabs!? So easy to find my place and pull the months I need to jot stuff down! Not to mention the amazing fun colors!

It even comes with a pouch to hold all my important things together. Thanks Erin for the extra goodies. Such a sweet surprise!

Plus there is some many areas to add notes! Even my check off list for bills each month! Organization is key!

Are you ready to order your Erin Condren Life Planner now? Hurry...do it now! I am about to order more as upcoming Christmas gifts! It's just too amazing not to share! I love mine already!!!

Summer Break

2011-08-02T21:21:00.000-05:00

Can you tell I have been MIA lately?! Yes I have been taking a bit of a "summer break." I have been focusing on work, summer projects and preparing for our end of summer vacation! This blog is going to go through a lot of changes until summer is over but I promise it will be worth the wait. So hang in there cause I will be back in September and in full force! Lot's of home tours, updates in our crazy Lenz life and many more exciting things to come! Hope yall are having a fun, eventful summer! In my opinion fall can't get here soon enough. These triple digits are killing me! xoxo

E-Design Giveaway!

2011-06-08T12:35:00.003-05:00

Did you miss me? It's been way too long since I last blogged. Shame on me I know, but I have still made sure to catch up on what all you have been up to and with Twitter I still feel like I am in the loop a bit.

Let's play catch up! Where to begin? Well I started my new job as Assistant Designer at Triple L Designs and I am loving every minute of it. I had no idea what I was missing out on in life until I started this job. Loving what you do makes a huge difference and my happiness has been noted by all of my closest friends and family. If you are to the point in your life and you are not happy do something about it. It's the greatest advice I have ever been given. Life is too short to not be happy!

The Interior Design world has been keeping me on my toes! There is so much behind the scenes that goes into it. It's right up my alley! From picking fabrics, dealing with workrooms, shopping for one of a kind accessories and furniture to meeting with clients...have I told you how much I love my job, lol! And although I have not been posting much on this blog lately, I have been posting alot on our design blog here!

And speaking of our design blog, did you know we are giving away a free E-Design to one lucky winner?! Go check it out now and enter!!!

Ok what else has been going on?! We FINALLY finished our wooden floors. They are amazing and turned out so much better than what I thought they would, but I will leave that for another post.

Today it's reached 100 degrees in Houston! The heat is unbearable and they only way to survive is to crank up the air conditioning or be submerged under water in the pool. Lately I have been letting the dogs play in the sprinklers. It's quiet a sit to see.

Since I have been working primarily from home I have also been able to make dinner almost every night of the week. Just call me Betty Crocker or Martha Stewart. None have been super picture worthy yet. Maybe next time!

Ok I have to get back to work but don't forget to sign up for the E-Design giveaway!

And thank you for sticking with the blog. So much more posting will be made!!!

xoxo

I'm Obsessed!

2011-05-11T08:07:00.004-05:00

Pinterest! It's one of the most inspirational websites out there right now. I can spend hours upon hours searching for home decor, party ideas, color combos, fashion and you name they have it! You can also pin items yourself of your favorite things. It's so easy and fun! If you haven't discovered this heavenly site you are really missing out! It is by invitation only so if you are intrigued let me know and I will send you an invite! I promise you will love it! And if you are already a member I would love to follow your boards so leave me a message with your link or email. Seeing other peoples styles and things that they love is tons of fun! Plus you get to see what you have in common with others!

I hope you join and can't wait to see all the wonderful things you find!

And I apologize now for the hours you will spend on this site while getting nothing else done. It just sorta happens!!!

Happy Pinning!

FYI, you can find me by putting in my email address: drlenz08@yahoo.com

Keeping it Real...

2011-05-06T13:22:00.004-05:00

Just me and my friend Kristen with no makeup, in hot rollers, driving through a car wash...cause we do this so often, lol!

Happy Friday!!!

xoxo

Office Space

2011-05-03T08:46:00.002-05:00

So one of the perks of my new job is that I get to work from home! This is a huge deal for me as I have always wanted to work close to home or later be a stay at home mom but now I will get the best of both worlds! To me that is a huge bonus!!!

I don't really have an office space in our house as we have one room occupied as the guest bedroom and the other is a workout/sewing/future nursery room. However, our master bedroom is large enough and there is a perfect nook for a desk and my work area.

At this moment I am in the middle of restoring an old desk and painting it white. It would work perfectly for the space I have in mind. I want the space to reflect me and my work but still tie into my room decor so it doesn't feel so out of place. Below are a few inspirational photos. Not all work with what I am going for but still have key things that catch my eye.

I love the organization and the girly look.

And I hope I can find a chair that really works like this!

This is more along the lines of the space I actually have to work with.

The simple accessories really pull it all together.

I also wouldn't mind having a pin board I can use to stick important items

or fabric and inspirational photos

I absolutely LOVE this one for the clean and simple elegance of it!

Talk about extremely organized!

With my small space it will be a challenge but shelves would help.

And this one is the perfect Interior Designer's office.

I love how she hangs her fabrics in a nice display!

And if I had bigger space this would be my office!!!

The crisp white with the bright splashes of color are such a great combo!

Decisions, decisions...
At least they are fun decisions to make though!

What do yall think? Any suggestions or pictures to share?

The Big News

2011-05-02T14:19:00.005-05:00

Wow what an amazing weekend!!! I will have to fill you in more about it tomorrow. But today I will finally share with everyone what my big secret is!

After six long years I have decided to part ways with the company I am currently with to join forces with my Interior Designer friend, Lauren, with Triple L Designs!!! I am beyond thrilled when the opportunity was presented to me and being able to do something that I love so much and get paid to do it was something that I just couldn't pass up!

Change has always been something to scare me but I am so at peace with this and both the hubby and I knew it was the right move for me/us. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and I can feel myself coming out of this slump I have been in for way too long. I am grateful for all the years that I had here and truly thankful for all that I had learned along the way. People always told me though that if you are not happy you have to do something about and that is exactly what I did! I start my new adventure mid May but you will be hearing from me alot more as I start this new journey in my life.

Thank you to everyone for having all the patience in the world with me and my lack of blogging. But I am back and couldn't be happier!

And of course I couldn't end this post without a picture!

Lauren & I at her wedding this weekend! What a gorgeous bride she made!

I hope you all had an amazing weekend!

More details to come soon!

xoxo

Things are about to change...

2011-04-25T08:46:00.003-05:00

Yep alot has been happening in the Lenz household!!!

Stay tuned for the big announcement...

Can anyone guess what it is?

No Emotions. Just Sex.

2011-03-17T11:41:00.003-05:00

I have to see this movie!!! Hilarious!!!

Favorite quote so far: "I'm emotionally unavailable. I'm emotionally damaged." And..."That sounds emotionally supportive...Lock that down!!!"

This will be the perfect date night movie!

50 Random Things

2011-03-09T15:01:00.002-06:00

It's a crazy random day so I thought I would do a crazy random post on a few things you may or may not know about me. Enjoy!

1. I can't remember my natural hair color. Is is dark brown, ashy blond or red-ish brown?

2. I wear heels all the time cause I like feeling taller and it makes my legs look sexy & lean

3. When Chris isn't home I blare the music and dance all over the house doing pirouettes (I really hope my neighbors can't see in the windows, lol)

4. I hate when people smack their gum. I can just hear my Mimi and mom scolding me as a child for doing this. Funny how much I am just like them.

5. My mom and Mimi are my greatest role models

6. I have no first cousins

7. I have the worst sailor mouth (Chris and I laugh that our child's first word with be the f*bomb, not really that funny)

8. I can still do the splits and the human pretzel

9. I can't whistle or wink

10. I can shoot off at least 25 phone numbers without looking at my phonebook

11. I have 5 tattoos

12. I can't dive and I hate the deep end

13. BBQ is my least favorite food

14. My hiccups sound like a small barky dog

15. I have the best handwriting thanks to my parents

16. I love bad boys covered in tats and mysterious eyes

17. When I answer the phone at work I sound super perky (which is totally not me)

18. I love my boobs (not too big and not too small)

19. However I will have the "mommy job" after I have kids

20. Liquor makes me bitchy

21. I love game nights and totally rock at Trouble

22. I may be 27 but I still eat Cap'n Crunch for breakfast...

23. I was devastated when I heard on the radio this morning that it was being discontinued

24. I have over 30 scarves (I have a problem)

25. I sound like my mom more and more each day which kinda scares the crap out of me

26. I like all music except for rap and the oldies

27. I prefer salty stuff over sweets

28. My in-laws gave me a case of wine for xmas! How awesome is that?! Too bad I drank it all before January was even close to being over.

29. Chris and I are coming up on our 3 year anniversary! Time flies

30. I love when my husband does the bootie bump dance it cracks me up

31. I can't watch scary movies anymore but used to love them

32. I am such a teenie bopper when it comes to tv shows

33. Olives and popcorn are my favorite snacks (just not together)

34. I stick my stomach out in the mirror to see what I will look like with a baby bump

35. I know how to make mosaic benches

36. I can also install a toilet

37. I have expensive taste but cringe when I pay more than $20 for anything

38. I can still remember what Chris was wearing the moment we met

39. I am an emotional tv watcher. I cry even at commercials

40. I love the smell of books and can't push myself to buy the nook or whatever its called

41. Most of my clothes are solid colors. I love patterns but can't see myself in them

42. I stress myself out, lol

43. If I can learn any language it would be french

44. My eyebrows are super blond that you can't see them in pictures

45. Even though we have been married for almost 3 years I still love looking at wedding blogs

46. We already have our future girls name picked out and its beautiful and southern

47. I hate walking on concrete barefoot

48. Escargot is one of my favs thanks to my Mimi & Ron

49. I only let a select few people call me Dani

50. I am so beyond ready to be a mommy (no I am not pregnant...yet)

Ok that is all I can muster up for now. Do we have anything in common? I would love to hear a few random facts from yall as well! Hope you are all having a wonderful and beautiful week! xoxo

It's done!

2011-03-01T20:23:00.004-06:00

When I saw this tutorial that Emily did over at Jones Design Company I just had to do it!!! It was elegant, looked simple enough and was perfect timing since I was contemplating redoing the guest bathroom. To say it was a tedious project is an understatement. It took time and patience but overall it was completely worth it! And best of all it didn't cost me a dime!!!

Here are pictures of the guest bathroom before it was painted and stenciled. It was an ugly poopy green and somehow I was convinced that I had to do a color in there. Note to self: trust my instincts, I should have known better. It made the bathroom seem dark and small.
When deciding on the actual wall color I picked the one in the middle.
Not too dark and not too light.

Emily provided the stencil in her tutorial so I printed it out and traced it on cardboard as she instructed. I did one full stencil and then cut the second one in half (makes it much easier for doing the top of the wall).

You will have to check out her blog for the step by step tutorial. Trust me you will fall in love with her!!! It was all very simple but like I said very time consuming. It probably didn't help that I got really sick in between the process which set me back 2 weeks.

Here are the finished results:

I also sewed a new extra long shower curtain out of one of our old bedding duvets to make the room feel much taller. Such an easy project that anyone with a sewing machine can do!

This is an up close shot of the shower curtain print.

The corners had to be the hardest part but somehow I made it work.

The pictures don't really do it justice and for some reason the color looks really off on the camera but it is much brighter than it appears. The design provided exactly what I wanted it to for the guest bathroom. It made it feel much lighter, taller and overall much larger. I hope to add some navy blue accents such as towels, candle sticks and etc. but for now it will do. I just don't want to pick up another paintbrush for awhile!!!

Overall breakdown:

Tutorial - awesome and easy to follow...thank you Emily!!! $0

Stencil - made out of cardboard $0

Paint - left over from dresser in the front room $0

Shower curtain - old bedding duvet $0

The amazing feeling of all the hard work: priceless!

xoxo

Decisions, decisions...

2011-03-01T08:20:00.005-06:00

Thank you for all the sweet comments on the sneak peak yesterday. I promise to post more pictures about it tomorrow. But today I need a little personal help.

As many of you may already know I have major baby fever! The hubby and I have talked about it ALOT lately and one of the biggest concerns is whether I stay home or not when we have kids. It's a constant battle between the two of us. When it happens, what do we have to do, what sacrifices will we have to make...you name it its been brought up.

So for the moms, moms-to-be, or even those thinking about kids, what helped you decide whether you stayed home or not? How did you make it work? What were some of your concerns? Please help me out! If you feel more comfortable commenting through email you can do so at drlenz08@yahoo.com. All help is greatly appreciated!

xoxo

FINALLY

2011-02-28T12:22:00.001-06:00

I finished the guest bathroom!

More to come later...

xoxo

Navy + Coral + White

2011-02-24T10:25:00.004-06:00

So I am thinking of doing a color makeover for our living room. I am obsessed with the color navy but didn't know exactly what complementing color I wanted to choose. After the help of my sweet twitter friends I have decided to do navy, coral and white! It's classic, perfect for spring/summer and will be just what the rooms needs.

I am not worried about finding the perfect navy and white stuff because its everywhere right now and I already have accumulated a good amount of items but deciding on the perfect coral accessories might be a bit more challenging. First thing I want to do is find the perfect fabric for the pillows. I have successfully narrowed it down to these 3 fabrics. Now this is where you come in. I need your help deciding which one to choose. I love them all and think they would each go great in the room but the undeceive person in me can't make up her mind. So....which one do you prefer?

Angel Wings in Persimmon

Verve in Red

Lace in Persimmon

Once I have the fabric selected I hope to find the perfect complementing pieces. Any tips or suggestions would be fabulous!

P.S. I am almost done with the guest bathroom. Pictures to come soon!

xoxo

Something Borrowed

2011-02-22T08:31:00.004-06:00

Good morning!!! I am back from from a refreshing three day weekend! I got alot done but at the same time did not. Does that make sense? It was nice though. I got my hair done, enjoyed some much need girl time, got one step closer to finishing the guest bathroom and we also ripped up all the carpet in the house. Yep, all the carpet is gone and now it is concrete. We are starting to prep it for the wood floors we are installing but it didn't take as long as we thought it would. Which means there will be no bare feet in my house for another 2 or 3 weeks. It's a texture thing for me. It will be worth the wait!

So this morning I was super exciting when I heard the new trailer was out for Something Borrowed!!! If you haven't read the book yet then it is a must! GO.READ.IT.NOW! I promise you will be hooked!

But for now here is the trailer:

Are you hooked yet?! I can't wait for it to come out!!! I think I might just have to read it again!

Ok ladies I have to get a ton done at work but I will be back later with lots of photos!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! xoxo

Spring Fever Fashion

2011-02-15T13:33:00.004-06:00

It's finally in the 70's here in Houston! Hallelujah!!! I don't mind the cold but it gets old really fast and I'm just not one to like to bundle all up unless I am sitting on the couch. So with this gorgeous weather I am starting to prepare my closet for a new spring/summer wardrobe. I have been roaming the web and I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed with Old Navy this season. I have always been a back and forth person when it comes to Old Navy. Sometimes they get it and sometimes they just fail! This coming season I give them a A+! Plus their prices are pretty darn good!

So here are a few of my top choices:

Left to right, top to bottom:

Metallic Gold Flip-Flops $5.00; Robbie Red Shirt Dress $25.99

Rugby White/Gray Tank $8.50; Rib-Knit Waist Roll-Up Cargos $29.50;

Pearl Mix Necklace $14.50; Cultura Beaded Bracelet $12.50;

Navy Boat Shoes $22.50; Golden Oldie Ruffle Trim Top $14.99;

Black Jack Tube-Top Maxi Dress $29.50; Braided-Tie Chambray Skirt $24.50;

Banana Crepe Cuffed Linen Shorts $22.50;

Blue Tonal Bib Necklace $16.50; Gold Multi-Chain Necklace $14.50;

Coral Pink T-Strap Sandals $19.50;

Blue Chambray Shirtdress $29.50; Coral Tropics Ruffled Eyelet Dress $34.50

I've already called the hubby to see how soon we can go to Old Navy!

What's your favorite new spring fashions?

Let's hope this warmer weather is here to stay!

xoxo

PINK

2011-02-14T08:48:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

May your day be filled with LOVE and all things PINK!!!

XOXO

In my groove...

2011-02-11T18:44:00.002-06:00

I'm in my groove right now but I wanted to take a short break and give you a sneak peak at what I'm up to!

It's taking awhile but it's definitely worth the wait!

More of an update later. Gotta get back to work!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful and fabulous weekend!

xoxo

Finally Human

2011-02-10T08:41:00.002-06:00

Whew! I am finally back to human. I have been MIA lately because I was totally knocked out for what feels like 2 weeks. The weather, allergies and just overall craziness finally caught up to me and I was literally down since last Wednesday. After a million horse pills, doctors visits, lots of tea and rest I am finally starting to feel better. I missed out on every weekend activity we had planned, was totally unproductive in the things I needed to get done and missed a ton of work. I do though have a new obsession with hot tea. It's the one thing that soothed my missing voice and sore throat and now I can't stop drinking it! And the dogs sure did enjoy me staying home. Yesterday morning Brixie was not happy when I left for work. But after a few hours here I had to go back home and boy were the dogs happy about it.

We slept the rest of the day.

Did I mention that its been FREEZING here?! I am completely over it and spring can't get here fast enough. I'm tired of layering, putting on my coat and freezing my buns off when I walk outside. I will take the heat any day!

OK I have alot of making up to do! I will be back in full force tomorrow!

Hope everyone is staying nice and warm! xoxo

Daydreaming...

2011-02-03T16:26:00.003-06:00

I want to be back here right now.

Soaking up the sun, drinking a frozen beverage and not having a care in the world.

PS...I really hate this stupid cold weather!!!!

Shower of Love

2011-02-02T07:48:00.004-06:00

I am cranky, cold and sick today. I live in Houston and we never have to deal with the unbearable cold but this year is different. I am freezing my tush off as it is 22 degrees outside but feels like 12. I know, I know we are a bunch of big babies here and we can't even compare to what most people are dealing with but we live in Texas for a reason. Oh and snow in Houston?! What?! For now I have my heater on full blast and I am sipping hot green tea in hopes that my throat starts to feel better soon. I am beyond ready for spring!

This past weekend was absolutely amazing! All of us bridesmaids hosted our precious friend Lauren's bridal shower. It was one of the most gorgeous showers I have ever been to! We had an amazing array of food including cupcakes from Ooh La La's Dessert Boutique, crab stuffed mushrooms, tomato basil mozzarella bites and so much more. We even had a mimosa bar that you can read more about here at my sweet friend's blog Two Hot Potatoes. Lauren received some amazing gifts and we all had a wonderful time showering her with love!

Here is a sneak peak of the shower.

{photos via Two Hot Potatoes}

After the festivities all of us girls went out for dinner and had a night of dancing and drinking!!! So.much.fun! Those pictures will come later but with alot of editing! It was definitely a blast! We looked at it as the pre-bachelorette party. I can't even imagine what that is going to be like and what kind of shenanigans we can get into then. All in all it was an amazing weekend and I wish we could do it all over again!

OK I am off to get another cup of hot tea. Hope you are all staying warm and cozy this week! xoxo

Bring on the Trouble!

2011-01-27T13:07:00.005-06:00

Not only is it Thursday, my favorite day of the week, but it is also the return of Vampire Diaries. I can't wait to see how the rest of the season plays out and of course the guys sure are nice to look at!

This weekend starts the kick off for our sweet friends Lauren & Chad's wedding festivities! The bachelorette/bachelor party is already booked for March but this weekend us bridesmaids are hosting the Bridal Shower. We are all excited not only for the shower but also to all be able to be in the same room at the same time. It's been way too long! We plan on drinks, dinner, more drinking and lots of fun afterwards. Oh and lots of picture taking! We always have tons of fun and get into all sorts of trouble. Bring it on!!!

Sorry I haven't posted much this week just have a million things going on! Monday I will be back on track and ready to blog my life away! Hope you all have an amazing weekend. Hoping for some beautiful warm weather. I think the winter has overstayed it's welcome!

xoxo

Procrastinator

2011-01-20T20:42:00.010-06:00

So I have been trying to keep myself occupied while trying to procrastinate finishing the bathroom. Yes I am really excited about doing the bathroom but I hate drawing the stencil on the wall. BORING!!! It will be worth it when it is all done...that's what I keep telling myself.

So in the meantime I have just been doing a little here and a little there around the house. Lucky you it's another day full of pictures.

I don't think anyone realized just how big the lion was that I painted. A sweet friend of mine came over the other day and was a little shocked by it's size. So I thought I would do a side profile so you get the picture better. Humongous!

I also won an amazing Giveaway hosted by the super sweet Lili at swanky::chic::fete!!! If you haven't discovered her blog yet you have been missing out! I just adore her and her blog! I am in love with these amazing Jonathan Adler tumblers and the oh so cool post-its! Thanks Lili!!!

Oh and you know those horse head bookends that we spray painted. I finally put them out. They made a couple different trips around the house and finally found the perfect home on our entrainment center! I love the way they pop against the dark dark background. One day I will show you the rest of the entrainment center setup (when the house is perfectly clean, but don't hold your breath it won't be anytime soon).

Close up shot 1

Close up shot 2

Now this is the part of the post where you don't judge! This is our closet on a regular day. It's a descent size so alot of times when we are expecting people over I just throw whatever I can in here. Plus I don't know if the hubby knows what a hanger is. It felt like if I moved stuff I might just find a door to Narnia!

Notice the pile of clean clothes on the dresser (his). They sat there for 2 weeks.

and for some reason he likes to drape his work pants on top of the shelf. Remember I don't think he knows what a hanger is. But I have no room to talk cause usually my scarves are all over the place.

Well enough was enough and while the hubby was away on a hunting trip I decided to tackle this mess. I was tired of living in chaos. Here is how it finally turned out.

Everything all nice and neat! I swear he has more shoes than I do.

The dresser is finally clean. Still working on a solution for the jewelry though.

That container holds all 25 of my scarves. I rolled them up nice and neat!

Now lets see how long it lasts!!!

One day I will finally have a closet like this:
Hey a girl can dream can't she!

And finally another project I have been procrastinating:

So glad it is finally Friday! I hope all you ladies have a warm and wonderful weekend ahead!

xoxo

Baby Brain

2011-01-20T08:07:00.005-06:00

I have a bad case of baby brain! It's all I have been thinking about lately and it doesn't help that everyone and their mother is pregnant right now both famous and fabulous. It's both exciting and hard at the same time. It's everywhere I turn, Facebook, tabloids, home...everywhere!!! I am ready, like soooooooo ready but the timing is off. I am not going to lie, I have been in the WORST mood lately because of this. I know my time will come and it will be so worth the wait but can it just get here already!?!!

It probably doesn't help that I have a list of baby names already picked out and a never ending inspirational folder of baby rooms! So here is a sneak peak into just a "few" rooms I have saved. Some are even of my sweet blogging friends that have fabulous taste!

Enjoy!

*Sigh*....one day it will be my turn.

Hope all you ladies are having a wonderful week.

The weekend is slowly approaching and I can't wait!

xoxo

Why did I not read this sooner?!

2011-01-17T15:40:00.002-06:00

One of my 2011 goals is to track my spending habits and plan for a better financial future. I "want" a lot of things in life and I despise the word "NO." It makes me pout like a 3 year old. And I am one of those that if I want something I want it now, not later, but right this second!

The majority of the "wants" (mostly material things) I don't need but the one that I desire the most is to start a family. Before we can do this we need to get a few things taken care of first. One, we need to get out of debt. Two have a better savings and an emergency fund. Three prepare for the future. I am ashamed to say this but we have done a really sucky job at all of these. Once we got our house we went a little crazy needing this and that and trying to keep up with the Joneses. We are all guilty of this in one way or another! My number one guilty pleasure is having the house put together. I may not spend a million dollars doing this but it all starts to add up here and there with this project and that. I can't help it sometimes, its just something that I really love. A hobby somewhat. Well its time to cut back. I have enough projects to do to last me a year and I won't have to buy anything to do them cause I have already accumulated all the things I need to finish them (a post on these later).

I finally reached a point where enough was enough and I am just tired of feeling like this. It's time to get our butt in gear. I have heard a lot of great things about Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. It's taken me along time to work up the courage to get it because I knew that once I purchased this I would have to accept the word "NO" and make sacrifices that I am not always willing to give into. But we want to start a family one day and now is the time to prepare (as much as one can before baby).

The book came in the mail on Friday. I have to admit this book is really good!!! I am not a motivational reader and I don't always get financial stuff but I totally get this and the way that he explains things is easy to understand. There have been so many instances where I have said "oh that is so me!" I am not done reading it yet and can't wait to pass it over to the hubby to read but I have a wonderful feeling about it. We are finally going to do what we should have done a long time ago! It makes me really excited about the future and one step closer to baby!

Have any of you read this book? Did it make a big impact on your life? What are your thoughts on it? I just know it is going to take a lot of will power! But I know we can do it!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and hopefully your Monday isn't too crappy! xoxo

Something in the water!!!

2011-01-12T12:07:00.008-06:00

There must be because it seems that all of Hollywood is making babies! I have to say that this is a much better outcome than the divorces a few months back!!! Happy news is better news!

Congrats to all the mom's to be both famous and fabulous!
xoxo

Serena & Lily

2011-01-12T10:33:00.002-06:00

Today I am totally coveting this look from Serena & Lily.

The pattern combinations really compliment each other! I want them all!!!

Dizzy

2011-01-12T06:33:00.003-06:00

Life is a roller coaster! It has its ups and downs. Its twist and turns and just when you think the ride is done it takes you backwards. I'm getting dizzy!

Unproductive

2011-01-10T08:28:00.003-06:00

Good morning!!! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and happy Monday to you all! This past weekend was pretty unproductive in the Lenz household as both me and one of the dogs were sick. Such a joyous occasion, lol! It did however give me a chance to catch up on gossip and make long lists of to-do projects for 2011! I am so sure that it pleased my husband to add on about 15 new items to our never-ending list, lol.

So did you hear the news that these two gorgeous people are expecting their 4th child?!

I hope it's a girl! Someone has to pass on the fashion gene!

OK it's going to be a crazy Monday with meetings taking up the majority of my day! SO MUCH FUN!!!

e·clec·tic

2011-01-06T14:05:00.011-06:00

1. Selecting or employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems or styles.

2. Made up of or combining elements from a variety of sources

[Greek eklektikos, selective, from eklektos, selected, from eklegein, to select: ek-, out; see ecto- + legein, to gather, see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

According to my dictionary and my interior designer friend this is the sense of home decor style that I have. The more I thought about it and the more that I went through my Home Decor Inspirations folder on my computer the more it made sense to me. Yep they were right, I'm eclectic. And here is the proof:

{all of these came from my saved computer files so they do not have links to whose houses these belong to. Forgive me if any of these are your pieces of work. If so please let me know and I will be happy to give you the credit}

Do you know what your style is? I would love to hear about yours and if you decide to post about it send me the link!!!

BTW, I was so excited when one of my house projects made the main page on CasaSugar this morning!!! You can see the direct link here!

Happy Thursday! xoxo

Pirouettes

2011-01-04T12:45:00.004-06:00

This morning I woke up to run at 4:30am. Yes 4:30am! I actually feel really great about it. No I didn't actually go outside and face the cold but I did get on the treadmill and sweat by a#% off for 40 minutes. As crazy as it is I am really a morning person and feel better about working out in the morning than doing it at night. If I wait till night time there is less likely of a chance that I will do anything at all. Plus I really like my wine when I walk through the door (goal #1). I am determined to stick to my goal (#4) of getting my "pre-wedding" body back.

Since I worked out this morning I also have this strange since of calm today. This is seriously an odd feeling compared to my usual strong type A personality. Always stressed and the need to feel in control. But today I really just want to dance around doing pirouettes and saut de chats as I listen to Clint Mansell on Pandora.

Or maybe I am just delusional from the lack of sleep, lol!

Don't you just want to dance around gracefully some days too?

xoxo

Country Strong

2011-01-03T10:43:00.004-06:00

I cannot wait to see this movie!!! Even if you aren't a country fan I think this movie will appeal to alot of people. I know that Gwyneth Paltrow is supposed to be the star lead in this movie and everyone is impressed with her new singing skills but it's really Leighton Meester that I am looking forward to seeing!

Leighton not only plays Blair in Gossip Girl but is also a singer on the side before the Country Strong role even came out. Before she was more pop but I have to admit I like her much better as a country singer. I feel like it fits her voice better. And rumor has it she is going to continue down the country path and has already started recording a few songs.

So to great ready for the January 7th premiere I have pulled together a few pictures and videos to share to get everyone excited (or mostly myself)!

Here is the trailer!

Leighton Meester and Garrett Hedlund(hottie)

And here they are again singing my new favorite song!

This makes me wish summer was actually here right now!

And this one is such a sweet romantic song

Gotta love Gwyneth!

And who wouldn't want to dance with Tim McGraw

Words I Couldn't Say

And of course Country Strong with Gwyneth singing!

Gorgeous!

So will you be venturing out to see this movie?

Happy Monday! xoxo

Well hello 2011!

2011-01-02T16:32:00.009-06:00

Can you believe it's already 2011?! I hope you all had a wonderful time ringing in the new year. We enjoyed our game night/hot tub time at our sweet friends house for the second New Years in a row! We think it is the perfect way to ring in the new year! We were also super excited that our neighbors came back home after a long vacation! We deeply missed them as they were gone for almost 2 months! And even better that they came home with special news that they are expecting their second bundle of joy! What a great 2011 this will be!

With the extra long weekend we were able to get a lot of things done around the house that we have been meaning to do for awhile. We have decided that 2011 will be the year to get all the things we want done to the house now before we start trying to have babies. So we have mentally made a list and hope to get as much done as we can on a practical budget.

First on the list is to simply things. We have a million pictures in our house and they are scattered all over the place. We thought it would be great to simplify our space and create a large picture wall in our front entryway. First we gathered all the pictures and coordinating pictures frames from around the house and laid them out as to how we wanted it arranged on the wall. That was the easy part. Actually putting them on the wall was another story. I am not going to lie it took us a little more than an hour to get it all up and straight and exactly how we wanted it. My patience was running a little thin.

One step at a time. Chris just LOVED (can you feel the sarcasm) this project!

Once we got it up it was all worth the pain. We really do love the way it looks and we really thinned out the overcrowding of pictures in our house. Plus we love that people can see it when they walk in and when they leave.

The end product

And we really like that it takes up the most of the wall. We knew that whatever would go there needed to be big and this was the perfect solution.

On Friday Chris and I ventured out to run some errands and he was willing to finally hit up HomeGoods. I think he was more interested in seeing what this place was all about and exactly where the majority of our home decor comes from. I think he was both impressed and a little overwhelmed. While we were there we came across these cool horse head bookends. Chris agreed that these guys would look really cool in the house and said we had to have them, lol!

They were really pretty and I loved the detail but we agreed it still needed another touch.

The hubby really liked how the lion turned out so while we were hitting up Home Depot we grabbed some white spray paint and paint for the bathroom (our original reason for hitting up Home Depot). Today we finally got around to spray painting them. They look awesome and I can't wait for them to dry so I can find a home for them.

The hubby also put the final touches to the front room. We were waiting forever for the final piece to come in to tie the room into the entryway. As soon as that was in he added some pieces to the crown molding and painted them. I was so glad to get the dresser back in there and having that room back together. It looks awesome! Now I just need to have patience to do the rest of the house. That's going to be insane!

When we first purchased the house back in 2009 we painted all the rooms before we even moved in. Chris thought that we needed to add some color somewhere and with much debate we chose to paint the guest bathroom a shade of green. Now not to blame the hubby but this went against my gut feeling. I personally like to paint with neutrals and add colored accessories. Well it was done and to be honest I was never really pleased with it. To me it looked like poopy green. Yuck! I finally had enough and this weekend we decided to paint it a neutral so that I could do that stencil work that I spoke about a few posts back.

First I got three different sample shades to see which one would go best in the room. Here is the poopy green room before.

And here are a few samples shades I choose from. I put them all over so I could see how the light hit them in each spot.

I finally decided to go with the lightest shade after it was all dry and I had a night to think about it. And I am so glad I did because now that bathroom is much brighter! With no natural source of light it needed to not be dark.

So much better!

Today it is all dry and starting tomorrow I will start to draw the stenciling on the wall. Have some patience though because this part is going to take a long time. First I have to draw the stencil on then I will have to paint it. Wish me luck. Volunteers are always welcome :)!

So 2011 is off to a great start! And so much has been accomplished already. I have a lot of high expectations for this year and I can't wait to see what all this year brings. I hope you all had a safe and fun New Years weekend! I really don't want to go back to work tomorrow. I should have taken the day off lol! xoxo

What will 2011 bring?

2010-12-28T10:42:00.011-06:00

I have been thinking long and hard about what I want 2011 to bring to my life. Of course there are always the New Years Resolutions that people make but let's be honest, they never seem to last very long. So instead of making resolutions I am making 2011 Goals! Some will be fun, some will be sacrifices but all in all it will be for the best! Bring on 2011!

1. Drink as much wine as my heart desires! Not that I don't do this already but life is short and since there are no babies in the picture YET I might as well soak it up while I still can!

2. Track my spending habits. What's a budget if you can't stick to it or know what exactly you're spending your money on! I signed on with Mint.com to help track my spending, figure out where my money is going and how I can improve my savings and get out of debt. With all of the projects & life changing events we have planned for 2011 we need to have a budget. I should have done this along time ago but its better to start now than never doing it at all.

3. Stop unnecessary shopping! This one goes with my number 2 goal but this is a really big problem I have. There have been so many times that I have hit up Target to just grab a few things and then I veer my way over to the clothing section and end up with a few pieces that I really don't need. My thought process is "well I can wear this to this" or "ohh I really need one more of these" and the classic "well it's only $__." Yep this is my number one issue. And this can be said for more than just at Target. HomeGoods is my second place to get into major trouble. Just $5 here and there can really add up over time. I am really going to make a contiguous effort to really be good at not doing this anymore.

4. Work out 3 days a week. The other day I was taking a look down memory lane and I really miss the days that I was in shape, tan and looking great. I looked so much happier too. Now I dread seeing any pictures I am tagged in. I want my "pre-wedding" body back and gosh darnett I am going to do it! Three days is a manageable amount and its not consuming my life. I can and will do this!

5. Take more pictures! 2011 is going to be an awesome year and I want to make sure that I catch all the moments on camera that I can. It's great to go back and see what all has happened throughout the year and I don't want to miss a thing!

6. Take the dogs on more walks. Not only do the dogs get some energy out and exercise but so will I. I love seeing other people walking in the neighborhood with their dogs but the last thing I want to do when I get home is take them on the long walks. It's so easy to just let them run around in our big back yard. But enough is enough. It's time to grab their leashes and go!

7. I want to cook like Giada. I love her energy when it comes to cooking food not to mention that Italian food is my absolute favorite! I need to spend more time in the kitchen in 2011 and really get some skills. I have a lot to live up too since Chris is such a good cook and so is my Mimi! Gotta start somewhere!

8. I have got to stop using the "F" word. I am such a sailor and if I want to ever have kids my vocabulary has to change pronto. If you know me personally and you catch me saying please call me out on it! Thank you!

9. Get organized! My house can only store so much and life is so much easier when things are clean and there is a place for everything. The closets are one of the top things on my list of todo's! Wish mine looked like this one!

10. Go on more dates with the hubby. It's still just the two of us and we need to take advantage of this as long as we can. One day there will be more than just us two and I really look forward to that but for now these moments are important.

11. Eat breakfast! Coffee is not a food group. As much as I love a caffeine kick in the morning it's important to jump start my metabolism first thing in the morning with something nutritious. Even if it may only consist of an orange, banana and a bagel.

12. Start and complete one project at a time. I think I have about 5 projects all going on at once. It makes it hard to see how much I have truly finished!

13. Dance till my legs go numb! I am going to admit I dance around the house when Chris isn't home! It's not only fun but a great workout. This year I vow to hit up the actual dance floor more often!

14. Mandatory Girls Nights! I love my husband but I need my girls nights as well! This year I slacked off in this department as there was just so much going on. This year I vow ATLEAST one night a month! This can be a night out on the town or a few bottles of wine at home. Either way it's much needed!

15. Read more. I am not talking about magazines but actual hardback or paperback books. I love the smell of new books and especially love being sucked in by an amazing storyline. They say the imagination grows stronger the more you read. I have a few books to start but more on that in another post.

16. Blog more! Duh! I finally got my MyAgenda in the mail a few weeks ago and I now have a spot to jot down my blog topic ideas. So on the days that I lack in anything motivating I have these ideas to fall back on. So expect to hear a lot more from me in 2011!

17. Sew everything or anything. My sweet Grandpa (hi Grandpa!) gave me my grandmother's sewing machine a few weeks ago. I have done a few projects here and there but I still have a lot of learning to do and my list of projects just keep growing. By the end of 2011 I will be a sewing machine.

18. To be more thankful for the things that I have and not the things that I want. It is so easy to get carried away with all the things that I want that I tend to overlook the things that I already have. I am very blessed to have a roof over my head, a full stomach, a healthy body and a loving husband and family.

With that said I think it is a great note to end my 2011 Goals. I really look forward to all that 2011 will bring and can't wait for it to get here. I really want to know what some of your goals are so start thinking of your goals, post them and then link them below. Remember all goals can be achieved! May 2011 bring you happiness and love!

King of the Jungle

2010-12-27T09:24:00.005-06:00

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Ours was full of love with our families this year. We even started a new tradition at the request of my father. A birthday cake for Jesus! I think it's the best tradition by far and can't wait to pass it down to our children!

Thanks for all of your patience while I took a little break from the blogging world. Life has been busy and challenging in the Lenz household. But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger and we both look forward to what 2011 will bring! More on that to come!

So as many of you know I am really big into DIY projects and I am really excited about the one I just completed last week! You can call me crazy but I have been completely obsessed with the all white animal heads on the wall similar to the ones at Z Gallerie. Now I know that this is not everyone's cup of tea and according to my interior designer friend I have an eclectic sense of style.

I just love the rhinos in this room both on the wall and on the coffee table!

Now as much as I love these crazy animals I really do not love the price! Seriously Z Gallerie you want me to pay close to $200 for an animal head. I don't think so. I am not that insane!

So I have been searching high and low for an alternative way of doing this. I looked at some second hand stores, Goodwill and even HomeGoods for what felt like months in search for something similar. Then I hit the jackpot about 2-3 weeks ago at my local HomeGoods.

This huge lions head was sitting in the clearance section just waiting for me to swoop it up. I don't think anyone else had the same thing in mind and it was seriously just meant for me. And not to mention it was so fitting since Chris and I were married at the Houston Zoo and after we said our vows the lion in the zoo roared. So to me it also has symbolism. This monstrous thing was huge and heavy but it only cost me $12! Yes you read that right $12! It totally made my day even though I received many strange looks as I was walking around the store with this ugly lions head in my arms. Priceless!

When I brought this thing home I must admit I hid it from the hubby for a few days. I had no idea what he would think of this thing and my crazy idea and since he actually likes to have a say in our house decor I was really afraid he would reject my idea. To my surprise a few days later after showing him the lion and a few pictures of what could be the end result he was all for it. He was even trying to figure out where we could put it so that everyone would see it! This is just one of the many reasons I love him!

So the next morning I went to Home Depot to get spray paint. I completely covered this thing! There were so many crevasses to make sure that I got all the paint on. It took about 3 or 4 coats to completely get it all covered. I let it sit for 3 days to make sure it was completely dry. I really didn't want and white paint on my walls.

The hubby and I decided that the front room that we are in the process of transitioning would be the perfect location for this new fella. It was meant to be for that spot and really makes a statement! I love it! He is King of the Jungle! I wish I had a better room view of the lion but these pictures are off of my phone. I promise to post a better one later. So here are the final results.

All in all I spent $18 on this project! Much more practical for my budget than $200. Just takes a little patience, determination and a vision to see beyond the imagination.

Next up on the todo list: I really want to try this stenciling project found over at one of my favorite blogs, Jones Design Company! I think it would be perfect in our guest bathroom! This one will take ALOT of patience and time!!!

I am so glad to be back in the blogging world! Get ready to see lots of posts in the year 2011! I am putting a list of goals together (not resolutions as those tend to easily be broken) for all that 2011 will hopefully bring! Starting thinking of your list and I will give the Linky another try so you can link your list with mine to share with others! I can't wait to see what everyones goals are!

Happy Monday! xoxo

Merry & Bright

2010-12-16T10:21:00.002-06:00

Now that I know that everyone has officially received their Christmas cards in the mail I can show you our Christmas card for 2010!

It's not as fabulous as last year's but it will make do for a DIY card.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

xoxo

Pay It Forward

2010-12-15T13:38:00.002-06:00

Wow! What an amazing gift it is! I am not going to lie, these last few weeks have been rough. Sometimes it feels like its never going to end. One disappointment after another, something else that is going to cost an arm and a leg when we don't have the extra cash and just the things in life that we can't control. It's life right?!

This afternoon I had to leave the office to just get a breather. What better way to break up the day than to drive through the nearest Starbucks. After I placed my order I drove up to the pickup window and the barista handed me my drink. I tried to give her my money but she said there was no need for it. The lady in the car ahead of me had already paid for my drink and was paying it forward. I was shocked and felt an overwhelming sense of appreciation. You see I shouldn't have been in that line. We are trying to change our spending habits and Starbucks is just not in the budget. But today/this week has been a struggle and I needed something to get me through. I really appreciated the kindness.

It's something as simple as paying for someones coffee, something that costs less than $5 that could really make someones day. It certainly made mine. If there had been someone behind me I would have paid for theirs but there wasn't. Now I have the opportunity to do this at another time. A time when someone least expects it.

Think about this the next time you are in the Starbucks line, at the donut shop, or anywhere your heart desires. You could make someones day and make a difference.

Thank you lady in the car ahead of me. You gave me a much needed light in the right direction.

Pay it forward.

The Grinch

2010-12-13T11:30:00.002-06:00

Yep, that's me above! I haven't decorated for Christmas yet and since it's already the 13th there is no point nor do I even have the desire anymore. I will just have to put it all up 2 weeks later.

My mom called me Scrooge yesterday.

Seriously I am just ready for the new year to begin. I guess it's the feeling of starting fresh, getting things organized, getting life on track and just a new beginning.

I will be participating in the after Christmas day sales though to make sure I am fully prepared to decorate for Christmas next year. I promise!

Royal Engagement

2010-12-12T17:58:00.005-06:00

I can't wait for these two to get married! Such a cute couple!

It will be a wedding to remember!

What do you look forward to most about their wedding details?

VS Fashion

2010-12-03T09:44:00.002-06:00

I know I am a little late on this. I set my dvr to record the VS Fashion Show the other night and I finally got around to watching it. I have now decided that I need to go on a diet, work out 3 hours or more a day, get a spray tan and grow my hair out long again!

Yep I have a lot of work ahead of me!

Retail Therapy

2010-12-02T14:15:00.002-06:00

This week has been kind of a rough one so I decided to do a little retail therapy. These are on route to my house as we speak!

Divine Approval Sapphire Blue One Shoulder Dress from LuLu's

perfect for a few events I am planning to attend

2010 - 2011 myAgenda Original in Sterling Silver from momAgenda

Can't wait to start filling in my schedule in this!

There is nothing a little retail therapy can't fix.

Now all I need is a glass or two of wine!

xoxo

Jumbled Thoughts

2010-12-01T11:07:00.004-06:00

Is it really December already?! I can't believe how fast the year has flown by! I am a little all over the place this week. So today I am going to keep it real with a bullet list to recap what's been going on and what is in my crazy head these days.

Thanksgiving was a jammed packed weekend full of fun, family time, and get-togethers. I am not really a big turkey fan but give me stuffing and rolls and I am good to go!
My grandfather gave me my grandmothers sewing machine!!!! I was absolutely thrilled with all the additions it came with. Thread to last me forever, electric scissors, buttons galore, zippers, pins, etc. You name I probably have it! I even made my first pillow with a zipper (more on that in a later post). Thank you grandpa!!! (yes he reads my blog!)
I started to pull out all of my Christmas decorations. I only put out a few and I still haven't put up the tree yet. I am not usually like this! But honestly no one is really going to see it this year. However, I am thinking of a million Christmas projects that I am planning on doing so that next year my house is truly a winter wonderland!
CL is supposed to put the Christmas lights on the house this Saturday but I am not going to hold my breath cause we have another busy weekend ahead.
I really want to start a family soon but its not in the cards right now. It makes me sad.
I need a vacation. Seriously! I need to go somewhere tropical. Bask in the sun, feel the sand between my toes, drink an absurd amount of alcohol, read a few books and wear only bathing suits.
Tomorrow we have an exciting wedding to attend! I honestly cannot wait! Then it happens again on Friday night! I love weddings!
Saturday I am going to get my hair done. I have no idea what I am going to do with it but I am so bored and its fine hair and no oomph right now. Blah!
This month I turn 27!
I am really looking forward to all that 2011 will bring but I still need to get through 2010 first.
I need to get stamps today and mail out our Christmas cards. I love receiving them in the mail! December mail is so much more fun!
Sunday we are going to a BBQ and I literally cannot wait for some yummy sangria!
I love the cold weather and the clothes but I hate shaving and feeling like its grown out again because I have the chills.
Is it 5pm yet?

OK I think that is enough for right now. Happy Hump Day!!! xoxo

Zzzz...

2010-11-29T15:05:00.002-06:00

I don't know about yall but I need more of this after this past weekend!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I'll be back tomorrow hopefully refreshed! xoxo

I am thankful for...

2010-11-24T13:16:00.008-06:00

1. My AMAZING husband, Don't know what I would do without him!

2. My family. They shaped me to be the person I am today.

3. My close friends whom I cherish dearly

4. The roof over my head

5. Those protecting us overseas

6. My neighbors whom have become more like family

7. Adrienne & Brixie

8. My job

9. Our health

10. All of you! Blogging has given me the joy of meeting new friends and I love sharing our journey with you and being apart of yours as well!

Here are a few pictures of the things I am thankful for:

Now it is your turn! What are you thankful for? Link your post to mine below. I can't wait to hear all of yours. May you all have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving! xoxo

One Step At A Time

2010-11-23T08:32:00.006-06:00

Good morning ladies!!! Are you ready for the Thanksgiving weekend? I know I am. I have a lot to be thankful for this year and I will be sharing my list with you tomorrow. It's a long list! I would love to see your lists as well so I might have something to link yours to mine, well see.

This one is at the top of my list!

I love my husband!

Today I finally loaded pictures!!! I love taking them but loading them onto the computer is something I dread. It seems to take forever (yes my computer is ancient...I'm working on that) and I just have no patience. But I had to show you what my sweet husband has been up to lately!

You know how I told you we were putting in hard wood floors because a certain dog decided to help along with the process of ripping up the carpet?! Well Chris and Ryan finished the front room! And it only took a little over half a day! I am so pleased with the results and I can't wait for the beginning of the year so we can do the rest of the house! I will say it is taking some getting used to since it echoes. But that will be fixed once my curtains are put up and we add a rug to the room.

The actual process was not that hard. After we had filled in the holes in the concrete left behind from the carpet and cleaned the area up the boys laid down the red padding and started to make their measurements for cutting the wood. Once they did that and got a "non-pattern" rhythm going it was smooth sailing from there. I was shocked when they were halfway done at 10am.

They were starting to get their groove

It was like a puzzle just clicking the boards into place

Almost done
I love the dark wood color! Just waiting on putting in the final touch to the base boards
All done!

What do you think?

I can't wait for the guys to do the rest of the house! Having pets and carpet just don't mix very well. I will be happy to see it go! The boys did a great job and we really saved a lot of money doing it ourselves. If you are interested on how to do it just email me and we will be happy to share how we did it. Next time I will do a step-by-step video tutorial for anyone who is interested!

Since the floors are finally done in there and I am getting my sewing machine this week (thank you Grandpa!) I will finally be able to really concentrate on getting that room done. I have so many ideas that I want to do for that room. It is going to be the perfect girl talk retreat with lots of hidden storage for when kids enter the picture. I love a good transitional room! More to come...one step at a time!

And just because...

Suzanne, Michele (my sister) and I after a long night of drinking and singing at the top of our lungs! Gotta love it!

I'll be back tomorrow with my Things I am Thankful For list! Start getting yours ready!

xoxo

Is it too early?

2010-11-18T11:09:00.002-06:00

When do you decorate for Christmas? Every year I fight the urge to start my Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving. And yet every year I still do it before the turkey is even out of the oven. But it seems to me that this year I am not the only one! Lot's of people (not just retail stores but actual people) have already started putting up their trees, lights and winter decor. Are you one of them? If not when do you do it? I am still debating.

Seriously Hollywood?!

2010-11-17T16:07:00.003-06:00

Can you not just keep it together?! What is about celebrities divorcing like its the "New Next Great Thing." It feels like celebrity marriages are dropping like flies?! And now you can add this one to the list:

Tony Parker & Eva Longoria

I can honestly say that I didn't see this one coming in a million years. I really thought they were going to last. I was just waiting for baby news. But today Eva officially filed for divorce. Rumor has it that Tony let his eyes wonder in other directions. Such a shame. Let's remember them in happy times before this gets ugly.

Their wedding day 7.7.07 (wasn't this supposed to be a lucky day?)

Any typical married couple...
Loving being newlyweds...

Marriage isn't easy! It takes a lot of work. Let's hope this doesn't become the new fad. I prefer happy news!

We shopped till we dropped!

2010-11-17T09:11:00.004-06:00

Good morning!!!! It has been one crazy week! I am absolutely exhausted so please excuse the absence. This will be short and sweet cause I have a lot of work to do but I couldn't neglect the blog.

This past weekend was amazing! Ashley and I skipped work on Friday for a day of shopping. We drank mimosa's, walked down every single aisle and shopped till we dropped (literally). I was sooooo sore by the time we left the Nutcracker Market that I could barely feel my legs. But it was well worth it!

Double fisting the mimosa's and ready for the shopping to begin!

... and Ashley was a girl on a mission that day!

We had an absolute blast!

Oh and we finished the hardwood floors on Saturday! I am leaving that for another post though. I will say it is not as hard as we thought and I can't wait to do the rest of the house! Count on a post soon about all our DIY projects lately. We have had a lot of them!!!

Chris didn't sell his painting at the art show Saturday night...but we did have a fun filled night full of laughter, lots of drinking and singing at the top of our lungs! He already has ideas for his next piece of work. He is definitely not discouraged and ready to paint again! I have a few ideas up my sleeve as well so maybe next year I will submit a piece!

Like I said this was going to be short and sweet! Work is kicking my butt lately!!! Yesterday I pulled a 12 hour work day! Hope you are all having a great week. Next week will be a short one...WOOHOO!!! xoxo

Bad Dog!

2010-11-11T08:37:00.004-06:00

Anyone else watch the 44th CMA Awards show last night? I was actually very impressed and well entertained throughout the show. I mean it helps when you really love the hosts! Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood did an awesome job! Now Carrie's fashion throughout the night was a bit questionable but I will let that slide cause she is just too darn cute no matter what she wears.

Brad & Carrie

And boy did these two take away the awards last night! I must say I would love to be invited to their wedding. You know it is going to be an amazingly fun with their personalities! They are soooo in love!

Miranda Lambert & Blake Shelton

In other news, you know yesterday when I said that we have a big house project to complete this weekend, well here it is:

Yes, above you can see the work of a VERY in trouble 1 year old pup and her hard work. About 2 weeks ago Brixie decided that she really didn't like the carpet in the front room. And since her mommy dreamed of ONE DAY (certainly not any time soon) replacing the floor in there she decided that she wanted to help her mommy in completing a little demo way ahead of schedule. When we got home to see the work above I about flipped!!! Not only did she rip the carpet but she pulled it up to the middle of the room. REALLY?!!!!

There were no chances of a quick fix so we sat down to discuss all of our options. After getting quotes and what seemed like a million samples we decided to go through with getting hardwood floors. But to save on money we are deciding to install it ourselves. You know I love a good DIY project but this one is going to take a lot of patience. Since I lack any sort of patience what-so-ever (THANK YOU DAD) I have decided to leave this project to the guys (Chris, Ryan and Phil). I will just act as Project Manager.

So first we had to clear the room of Brixie's left over demolition and removed all the carpet, padding and nails. We vacuumed up all the dust and remains and scrapped off all glue to make the concrete floor flat and smooth. Chris filled in any holes with puddy and now the guys are ready to install.

All cleared and now it echoes throughout the house

My hard working man!
Not a fun project at all...

So now it is all set and ready to go. We ordered the floors last week and they were supposed to have arrived yesterday. Unfortunately though, they seem to have lost the freight with our purchase aboard. I am dealing with the company right now and hopefully we will have our package sometime today or first thing tomorrow morning. Wish us luck! If all goes well we will be doing the remainder of the house at the beginning of the year.

Although I am not thrilled with how all of it came about I will say I am really, really, really excited to get my hardwood floors and get rid of all the carpet in our house. So thank you Brixie...but don't do it again!!!!!

Oh the joys of having a house and a young pup. Xoxo

Poker Face

2010-11-10T08:24:00.006-06:00

Saturday was a huge success! Thank you Bud and Amy for opening up your house to us! Chris had a great time, got third place, smoked cigars, had a blast with all of his friends and drank his favorite drinks! What more could a guy ask for! So glad that everyone was able to make it! I thought that I had been pretty good about taking pictures but after looking back at them I didn't do such a great job! And Chris and I didn't get any pictures together! We are so bad about that! So here is a recap of the night in the pictures that I did take:

If anyone went home hungry it was their own fault!

I made sure there was plenty to grub on!
I spent many hours in the kitchen the night before

I even got Subway

Lauren & I before the gambling began!

the yummy Tiramisu Bowl (it was devoured)

And it was so pretty we set up a table outside

The tables were very intense! Such a serious game!

Notice all the guys with their heads turned towards the tv checking on the football scores...men

Chris Iconos and the guys taking a break

So glad Chris' brother was able to make it!

And then we got down to the final table...

And Chris' Dad won it all! So glad that everyone came and had a great time! It made for an awesome birthday! Now what to do for his 30th in two years?!

This week we have alot going on! We have the Cirque du Soleil tomorrow night, Nutcracker on Friday, some very big home projects on Friday and Saturday (which I will be blogging about very soon) and Chris' art show on Saturday night! So busy, busy times with lots of pictures to take!

Happy hump day! Anyone going to watch the CMA Awards Show tonight?

Christmas Shopping

2010-11-09T08:27:00.004-06:00

This past weekend was a HUGE success! Chris loved his "surprise" poker party and everyone had a wonderful time!!! Chris has already said he wants to do it again for a future birthday, lol! I am great about taking pictures but awful about loading them onto the computer so you are going to have to wait one more day for a recap of the whole event. Sorry ladies!

So has anyone started their Christmas shopping yet? I have done a little here and there but still have a few items that I need to add to the shopping cart. Hopefully I can knock a few out this Friday at the Nutcracker Market.

If you haven't started yet or still have alot to do I have the perfect solution!!! As many of you may already know, Scentsy warmers is one of my favorite gifts to give! There are tons of great warmers to choose from, scents that smell delicious, last forever and its non-toxic! And for those of you that are mommies you don't have to worry about the wax hurting your little ones as it only gets hot enough to melt the wax but not burn by the touch. It's perfect for all ages and a great gift that will last all year round!

Look how cute this Gingerbread warmer is!

The November Warmer of the Month: Prancer!
And for those of you with loved ones that have survived breast cancer or trying to fight it this would be the perfect gift and ALL of the proceeds go to The National Breast Cancer Foundation!

Just visit my website and start your Christmas shopping now! If you have ANY questions please feel free to email here drlenz08@yahoo.com and I will be happy to answer them!

I will be back tomorrow with the Poker Party recap full with pictures! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! xoxo

Friday To-Do List

2010-11-05T09:18:00.006-05:00

This weekend is going to be a big weekend! For months now I have been in party mode coming up with the best "SURPRISE" Poker Tournament Party for my sweet husband. I sent out an evite to all of his friends, family and coworkers and everyone was able to keep it a secret for months except for one! And he called to tell him that he couldn't make it! I gave him hell afterwards, lol! I had the whole thing planned out to a "T" even having it at a friends house so that he wouldn't suspect a thing! Yep even though I had SURPRISE written in big bold capital letters about 10 times in the evite and even sent out personal emails to the ones that he hangs out with most on a regular basis one guy ended up spoiling the surprise. But it was bound to happen and even though the surprise was ruined I have one ecstatic man ready for the event to begin. I still get wife of the year award lol!

So tomorrow is the big event and I have a million things to do on my to-do list. So here is a little sneak peak into my world today:

Pay ticket and sign up for defensive driving (remember when I got a ticket a few weekends back for speeding! yep I soooo look forward to defensive driving. Gotta be proud of myself though cause I haven't gotten a ticket since high school...until now, lol)
Type guest list for security guard
get oil changed and tires rotated
go to liquor store to pick up drinks and cigars
make a trip to the grocery store to get a forever long list of items
spend the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen being Susy Homemaker (I have a lot to whip up: Cupcakes, Tiramisu Bowl, Armadillo Eggs, Cream Cheese Roll ups, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Vegetable Platter, Chili Cheese Dip (tomorrow) and soooo much more...they better come hungry)
Clean house for guests staying for the weekend
Wash clothes (why didn't I do this last night?!)
Gather all party supplies and have them ready to go for in the morning
Pass out at some point
pick up subway at 10:45am tomorrow
pick up balloons at grocery store after I pick up Subway

OK I think that is everything or at least its all my brain can muster up right now! I can't wait to post all the pictures on Monday. I will be way too hung over to accomplish much of anything on Sunday!!! Wish me luck! I am trying not to stress out and honestly I am doing a pretty good job so far...or so I think!

I hope all you ladies have a fabulous weekend ahead! xoxo

Christmas Preparation

2010-11-04T10:09:00.003-05:00

OK you can call me crazy but tonight Chris and I are pulling down all of our Christmas decor from the attic. Chill out! I am not...I repeat...I am not decorating already! But I am trying to prepare for what I have in store for next Friday!!! My sweet friend and coworker, Ashley, and I are heading to the Nutcracker Market! Woo-hoo! We are skipping a day of work for some shopping fun! For those of you that don't know what the Nutcracker Market is, it is a fabulous 4 day market in Houston held at the Reliant Center that has tons of holiday decor, gifts, yummy food and house decor for all year round! It really is heaven on earth! Not only is it tons of fun but you can also drink while you shop! Does it get any better than that?!

Look how many booths there will be to shop!!!!

So in order to prepare for this glorious event the hubby and I are going to go through all of our Christmas decor tonight to make sure we don't make any duplicate purchases and to see what we really want to get or replace for this year. Last year I went a little crazy on the after Christmas sales, waking up at the crack of dawn to hit the closest Target, Garden Ridge and Kohl's. But it has been so long since I made those purchases and they went right up in the attic with all the rest of the packed decor once I got home. So I just need a little refresher!

I am really looking forward to Christmas this year. I love it when the house is all decorated, warm and cozy! Lights hung everywhere and the cold chill in the air. Makes me crave a hot Starbucks right now, lol! Bring on the holidays!

Hope you are having a wonderful Thursday! Only one more day left and then the weekend begins! xoxo

Brrr...

2010-11-03T15:17:00.002-05:00

It's cold, wet and rainy here in Houston and...I am LOVING it! Perfect jacket and scarf weather! Now all I need is my Starbucks in the red holiday cup!!! Perfection!

Christopher Ryan Lenz

2010-11-02T09:15:00.014-05:00

Today is the hubby's 28th birthday! Wow how time has flown by since the first time we met (he was only 20 then). He is the love of my life, my best friend and I can't imagine life without him! The first thing that caught my eye was his smile and his contagious laughter! He lightens the mood when things are tough, he listens even when I think he isn't, his love is inspiring and to be apart of his life is a blessing!

So babe this post is dedicated to you! I love you with all my heart and hope that this year is an amazing and blessed one for you! To many more birthdays ahead! xoxo

The love of my life

The day we became one May 17, 2008
Chris & Lauren (forever friends)
The Boys (we miss JT)

Chris x2 (this means trouble)

Chris with his parents

One year down forever to go...

Christmas 2009

Snow day

Dancing the night away

I do!

This boy loves to gamble

and we can't forget UFC

This is one of my favs!

He is always there when you need a pick-me up!

He is also very spontaneous and lives on the edge!

Just look at that smile!

Our first vacation!

Chris loves to paint

...and get wild and crazy!

Check out the guys way back in the day (10 years ago)

yep that is Icon (Chris) on the far left and my Chris on the far right.

New Years Eve 3 years ago

Nick & Chris

After our wedding the party carried on...

St. Patties Day (he hates this picture lol)

Jenn & Chris back in the day...

And this was them two years ago. Lifetime Friends!!!!

We absolutely love Halloween!

The Three Amigos

We love a good night out

Walking through life hand in hand

This is my absolute favorite wedding picture!

Life without him would be so dull

Like I said his laughter is contagious!

xoxo

And alot of the times he is just super goofy!!!

So Happy Birthday Christopher Ryan Lenz!

Life is an adventure with you in it and I am so glad we get to experience it together.

Happy 28th!

xoxo

Trick-or-Treat

2010-10-29T12:55:00.002-05:00

Christopher (on the right) & Tony at work today!

Crazy Gorillas!
We hope you all have a wickedly good time this weekend!
Be safe and watch out for the witches and goblins!
xoxo

Fabric Help

2010-10-27T12:52:00.005-05:00

I need your help! I am in search of an awesome fabric website that I can order from online. Here is my goal: I want to purchase fabric to make my own curtains, pillows, etc. but I don't want to spend a fortune. Some of my favorite patterns right now are Chevron, Trellis and some other modern prints.

Here are a few inspirational photos:

Any suggestions?

Fall Fun!

2010-10-26T14:04:00.010-05:00

Wow, we have been on the go non stop and it is sad to say that the only reason I have gotten a chance to blog is because I am home right now with a bad sinus infection! Boo!!!!! After being home for the last two days I am so ready to go back to work. Ugh! I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth, lol! Anyways, since I am home I finally got the chance to upload all my pictures from the last few weeks. Boy was there a ton!

Chris and I have been cooking machines lately. We made a deal to cook at least 5-6 nights a week and since its hard to just cook for 2 we have had lots of dinner dates with our neighbors. It's been a blast! Some of the recipes have turned out AMAZING but I have to admit one night the meal was not such a great hit so we ended up ordering a pizza. It was definitely a good laugh for the night but it was also our first time having to throw something out that was just unbearable! Note to self: I am not a cold soup kind of person. I learn something new everyday!

Buttermilk Avocado Crab Soup (from Cooking Light)

this would have been much better as a shot of soup

it looks good doesn't it, don't let it fool you

On the other hand we have made a ton of yummy dishes. Like this one:

Maui Maui Fish Tacos

A few weekends back my mom and I went on an all girls family trip to Fredericksberg. We had an absolute blast and we are already planning for our next trip back. The weather was perfect and the shopping was amazing. But most of all I enjoyed spending so much time with my mom!

Let the shopping begin...

Kristen & Joanna
Having fun at one of the local bars recapping in pictures and celebrating a special birthday!
Don't know what I would do without my mom!
Can't wait to go back!

The next weekend we had Ryan & Katie's Engagement Party. They are so meant for each other and we can't wait for their big day! The night was full of dancing, reminiscing, drinking and so much more. Even a ticket, lol! Don't worry it was only for speeding. I stopped drinking long before getting in the car. Chris on the other hand was plastered! Good times were definitely had!

Ryan & Chris

And then the shots began...they were totally dreading this (thanks Dani, lol)
And this is when it started to get crazy
I love this guy!

Ryan & Katie danced the night away

There is going to be a lot of this at their wedding!

This spells TROUBLE! These guys are forever friends

Chris aka Icon, Ryan, Christopher and Nick

Two Peas in a Pod

And remember the other day when I told you I was soooooo hungover cause the hubby got us suite tickets to the Gorillaz. Well the concert was AMAZING!!!! Seriously it was so much fun and everyone had a great time. N.E.R.D. opened up for them. Such a great band in itself so you know it was going to be a good night. We all had lots of drinks, took tons of pictures and even got to spend some time with the Texans Owen Daniels. Such a genuinely nice guy in person! Oh and Phil & Brandy were able to join us as well. They were celebrating their 8th anniversary! Congrats guys!

Brandy & I

such a fun girl!

Even Snoop made an appearance onscreen

Happy Anniversary Phil & Brandy!

Of course as soon as we go to take a picture with Owen my camera goes to some weird setting.

They put on such a great concert!

Drinks afterwards on a Tuesday night. Gotta love it!

Good music, great company, good times!

And then this past weekend we went to Dewberry Farm with a special guest. We got the pleasure of taking Miss Lila (Brandy & Phil's youngest) with us. We had a great time and so did she! She is such a people watcher so she was entertained the entire time! Ryan, Suz and Miss Nora even joined us for the day. It is a great place to take the kids but I think next year will be better when they can really enjoy all there is to do. It was a windy windy day and the dust was definitely kicking up. By the time we left we were all ready for a shower!

All strapped into her stroller. This is definitely an experience if you aren't parents but we got it down and at the end of the day we were pros!
Miss Lila!

We even did the corn maze

the rules...

Lila was glued to Chris for the day...great practice

About to enter the farm house

We even got up close and personal with the horse. He tried to bit Chris lol!

She was mesmerized by the little chicks

And of course she liked the baby cow as well

Even Chris and Ryan had a bit of their own fun!

Aww...so sweet. He is going to make a great dad one day!

Little Miss Piggy

And what better way to end the weekend than with a little pumpkin carving competition! Phil, Brandy, Ryan, Suz, Chris and I all sat on the back porch Sunday afternoon carving away and roasting our pumpkin seeds. It was hard to choose the winner and since we all did a great job we called it even!

My pumpkin!

Chris' pumpkin!

So that is just a little recap of what's been going on in our world lately. We still have a busy few weeks ahead of us but I promise to be better about keep up with the good old blog! Hope all is well on yalls end and hopefully I will be as good as new tomorrow and back at work!

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

That's BANANAS!!!

2010-10-20T09:31:00.003-05:00

I am so incredibly hungover this morning! I mean realllllllllllllllly hungover! I am surprised I even woke up this morning and actually made it into the office. And this is part of the reason why:

Yep the hubby surprised me with suite tickets to the Gorillaz last week for last nights show!!! I had been wanting to go for so long and was completely stoked when he called and told me that he had 4 suite tickets for us to go. What an AWESOME man I have!

I wish my brain could function more right now but its just not happening. It was totally worth it though! And I know I am way behind in my posts. Sooooo....I will post again later when I am not a total zombie. I have lots of pictures and videos to share! Till then here is a nice shot of my husband just gorilla-ing around Target yesterday!

Haha...I go bananas for this guy!

Happy Hump Day!!!!

xoxo

Happy Friday!

2010-10-15T10:36:00.003-05:00

I just spent 45 minutes creating my 100 in 2010 post only for it to all be erased. Grrr! Guess it wasn't meant to be today lol! I'll save it for another day. But it's finally FRIDAY and I only have 2 more hours of work left!!!! Woohoo! Bring on the fun!

Hope you all have an AWESOME weekend! xoxo

I love this life!

2010-10-14T08:37:00.004-05:00

Seriously I couldn't ask for anything better! I have an amazing husband that loves me for me even when I am a bit crazy. Yesterday I was a bit on the cranky side and he poured me a glass of wine and sent me out to have girl talk with the neighbors. Now he may have just been trying to get out of getting his head chopped off but he seriously knew that that was exactly what I needed and when I came back all was well again, lol. I have a wonderful family and wouldn't know what to do without them, especially my mom. I have some of the worlds greatest friends and they have really been amazing! And in general I am just really loving life right now! Job is just swell but let's not ruin the mood here ok, lol!

We have a jammed packed weekend ahead and I seriously CANNOT wait! Tomorrow I am having drinks and dinner with these two AMAZING ladies! I really don't know what I would do without them sometimes! We will be missing one other fabulous lady but she is having her engagement pictures taken out of town! So exciting!

Love them!!! Tracey & Jenn

Later that night Chris and I are celebrating our football loving friends 30+ birthday. We always love spending time with them and I am sure there will be plenty of laughter and fun for the night!

Saturday we are watching football with a huge group and then later going out to celebrate the engagement of this wonderful couple! Their 2011 spring wedding will be here before we know it!

Katie & Ryan

And then on Sunday I have a baby shower for our friend that is expecting their second! It's crazy when the guy you grew up with in high school and college was the crazy-running-around-NAKED-at-parties-drinking-till-he-passed-out-insane-always-looking-for-a-good-time-kinda- guy turns into the loving-devoted-husband-and-father and we get to be apart of it all. It's fun growing up sometimes and getting to witness all the amazing life changes. So happy for Matt & Natalya!

Let the fun filled weekend begin! I promise to post a recap from my weekend in Fredericksburg! I need to upload all the pictures from my camera and then we will be good to go! Happy Thursday everyone! xoxo

God is AMAZING!

2010-10-13T08:28:00.002-05:00

Today I was going to post pictures from our girls weekend, which was absolutely fabulous by the way! But today something more amazing happened! I am not sure if anyone else follows the news and has been watching this but the miners that were trapped for 69 days underground in Chili were rescued!!!! Yes they were rescued!!! They emerged out of the trapped mine and embraced by their loved ones. How amazing is that! God really does take care of us and loves us unconditionally! He was watching over those men and brought them to safety. It brought tears to my eyes seeing the men emerge and reading the articles in the news of the amazing rescue. The loved ones that were able to hold the ones they missed so dearly alive and well.

GOD IS AMAZING!!!

xoxo

Time for a road trip!

2010-10-08T08:38:00.003-05:00

My bags are packed and I am ready to go! Girls weekend here I come!

I hope you all have a wonderful and amazing weekend! I will be back on Monday with lots of pictures and a trip recap to share with all of you! xoxo

Happy Thursday!

2010-10-07T08:16:00.004-05:00

Warning: today's post is just a bunch of randomness.

I love Thursdays! One day closer to the weekend and all the wonderful night time entertainment on tv. What is your favorite Thursday night show?

Yes...I changed my header again for the millionth time. I just like change which is probably why I am afraid to pay someone to do it for me. What do you think?

I am sooo thrilled to go on our girls weekend getaway starting tomorrow. The trip is much needed and I look forward to spending time with all the wonderful ladies. I am already packed and ready to go! I just hope the hubby can keep things clean while I am gone...eek.

Has anyone read Lauren Conrad's series of books? I read the first one and I must say that I was really impressed. It was loosely based on her life in the realty tv world but I was still hooked. I am about to start the second book (they all are tied together) and I am interested to see how it goes. And I just read that she has come out with the third. I better start reading faster! I love that she is the girl next door and hasn't let the fame get to her head. She has really done well for herself and will go a lot further than her former cast mates.

I keep forgetting to post a picture of the hair. Well here it is. I took it this morning at my desk. In person it is more of a shade of dark red.

And for a moment of cuteness. I was packing in the living room last night and walked into the bedroom to see this...

Brixie was already ready for bed. She had snuggled her way under the top sheet and was sleeping/snoring when I accidentally woke her up with my camera flash. She is so darn cute when she isn't getting into some sort of trouble.

Ok back to work! There are lots of deadlines to be made before the week is over. Happy Thursday everyone!!!

NOT a toy!

2010-10-05T14:33:00.005-05:00

Ok today is no better than yesterday. But now I know why I was so cranky yesterday. Today I am stuck at work with a fever, sore throat and nothing is working correctly. But I must continue to post before I get back into my non-posting rut, lol!

This past weekend was a fun yet relaxing weekend. The weather in Houston is absolutely perfect! We spent the majority of our time outdoors taking it all in because we know that this kind of weather doesn't last long in Texas. Friday I got my hair done and I absolutely love it! It has a dark tent of red with some brown and caramel highlights in it. Perfect for fall. Later that night we spent time with some of our friends visiting from out of town. It's always so nice to catch up and spend time with the ones we miss.

Saturday we woke up bright and early to participate in the Race for the Cure Houston. It was an amazing experience. To see all of the survivors and the ones racing for their loved ones lost was an emotional time for me both happy and sad. I was so glad that we participated and plan to do so every year. I will say though that I was soooooo sore after the fact and getting out of bed was definitely a struggle the next morning. It means that I need to really start working out again as soon I get over this crazy fever and everything else that is coming along with it. Here is a picture of Chris and I before the race began. Excuse the bad pic, we were both tired and its also not a great shot of the hair. I promise you a better one later.

So glad we got to do it together! xoxo

The rest of the weekend was spent with some of our close friends. We enjoyed a nice Fillet Mignon dinner with baked potatoes, homemade Caesar salad and a yummy Tiramisu Bowl for dessert all made by yours truly. Then Sunday was spent eating fried foods, watching football and hanging with our friends around the corner. It was so nice to watch the game on the outdoor patio. I love this weather! All in all it was a fabulous weekend!

So I have to share what our dog Brixie got into yesterday. Notice the chew toy in the picture below. They are scattered throughout our house.

And notice that this is NOT a chew toy. But Brixie thought that it would be fun to play with anyway. She knew she was going to be in lots of trouble when we got home so she tried to hid the evidence. She is definitely a sneaky one. At first we were worried that she had eaten it all but then quickly discovered her hiding spots. The broken pieces were hiding between the sheets, the couch and other odd places. Good thing we have extra remotes in the house but she was definitely in trouble last night and hopefully won't touch another remote ever!

Ok I am going to go now before my head explodes. Hope everyone is having a great week so far! I can't wait to get over whatever I have and I really hope it happens before my trip this weekend! xoxo

Grrrr....

2010-10-04T16:29:00.002-05:00

This is how I feel today:

{via We Heart It}

Like a crazy mad woman! Yep I will admit it!

I will be back tomorrow in a more joyful mood.

Still need to post my hair pics which I love by the way! xoxo

Such a Go-Glitter

2010-10-01T08:34:00.005-05:00

Hi, my name is Danielle and I have an obssesion with nail polish.

It is one of my things. I have quite a collection and the bag that stores them all weighs a ton! My husband thinks I have a problem, lol. I just can't help myself. My favorite brand by far is Nicole by OPI. I can't walk into Target or any beauty store without getting a new color. And I am not afraid to be bold and rock a color that is a little crazy and a bit daring. My boss gets a kick out of it!

My new favorite is a bit of a mixture. Show You Care is my number one color and I love to sport it throughout the year. But the other day I came across the Such A Go-Glitter and I just had to have it! As you know with most glitter nail polishes you have to mix it with a solid. Perfect! I went to my trusty Show You Care put two coats on and then finished it off with the Such A Go-Glitter. Such a fun name! Wouldn't it be awesome to have the job of creating all the names for their colors?!

So what do you think? I LOVE it and kinda reminds me of the midnight sky with stars (galaxy like). The hubby just laughed at me when I told him that and proceeded to ask me how many glasses of wine I had consumed, lol! I think I will be rocking this color for awhile.

Do any of you watch The Rachel Zoe Project? I was so sad to read in the gossip websites yesterday that Rachel Zoe & Brad Goreski are parting ways. I love her show and it won't be the same without B! But he is moving on to create a name for himself so I hope he gets his own show as well. I wonder what they would call it?

On the up side, in this mornings news they are claiming that Rachel Zoe is 3 months pregnant! I hope it's true. That baby is going to be so stylish!

I am so glad it is Friday and also my half-day. I can't wait to get my hair done and enjoy a fun night with the hubster! Hope your Friday is an amazing one as well! I will be sure to post about the hair results later! xoxo

Yummy Cupcakes & a DIY Halloween Wreath!

2010-09-30T09:56:00.003-05:00

I love Thursdays! It is one day closer to the weekend and I have all day to look forward to watching some of my favorites shows that come on tonight!

I completely forgot to post pictures on my sister and Mimi's birthday celebration from a couple weeks ago. We decided to keep it simple this year and just have an amazing home cooked dinner at my parents house...thanks mom! All 8 of us were able to attend which is a rare occasion even during the holidays. Earlier in the day I picked up some oh so delicious cupcakes from Ooh La La's in Katy for the dessert. Ok I am going to make a confession. These cupcakes taste so much better than Sprinkles & Crave Cupcakes combined. They are moist and stay moist for a couple of days and the frosting is delish, which I am usually not a frosting kind of girl. And as a bonus they have a drive through!

The amazing cupcakes:

flavors from left to right starting at the top -

margaritaville, pina colada, 2 ultimate chocolates, cinnamon brown sugar, 2 german chocolates, peach melba, the bunny boo, nilla choco, pretty in pink and the velvet elvis!

They are HUGE in person...another bonus!

I love these ladies!!!

Michele, Mom, Mimi and I

It is always fun getting to spend time with the family and I cherish every moment. Just wish we could do it more often!

As I mentioned yesterday I made my own DIY Halloween wreath over the weekend. I got my idea from this post over at Shannon Makes Stuff. I did it similar but changed up how I did the little roses. Visit the site to get the tutorial though.

First I went through my closet and got some old shirts that I was going to retire and also went through my bags of left over fabrics. I grabbed an old burnt orange sweater, a navy shirt and a shrunken gray cardigan. I then came across some black and zebra patterned fabric. Perfect for the Halloween colors. I cut them all into long strips varying at different lengths.

Earlier in the day I made a trip to Michael's and bought a round foam wreath and some wide black ribbon to wrap it with. I then proceeded to make the roses and grabbed the fabric, twisted it and formed it into a spiral gluing it in place with a glue gun as I went. I did this for what felt like forever until I had enough roses to cover the wreath. Then I got glue gun happy and started gluing the roses to the wreath scattering the different colored roses so that the same color wouldn't be right next to each other.

Here are the final results!

Up close of the fabric roses

There is still a few final touches I want to make but overall I am really thrilled with the results and even the hubby approved and asked me if I was going to make one for Christmas! Now I just need to start getting out the rest of my Halloween decor to get into the festivities!

Ok I am off to grab some lunch. So happy to be halfway through the day. Hope you are all having an easy Thursday and I will be back tomorrow afternoon with the results of my new hair color! xoxo

This Crazy Life

2010-09-29T12:36:00.004-05:00

Life has been super crazy lately and I have to admit I totally love it! And I mean crazy in a good way! We have a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks. Can you believe it is almost October already!!! So here is a break down of what we have going on:

Friday afternoon: going back to my roots and turning my blonde into brown or red. Time to embrace the Fall!
Friday night: Date night just the two of us! I cherish the time we get to spend together away from everything else that stresses us out! We need to enjoy these times as much as possible...especially before babies are in the picture.
Saturday morning: Komen Houston Race for the Cure. We love participating in a good cause so both the hubby and I will be out walking and supporting all the ones we love!
Saturday evening: Dinner with a few of our favs! We are absolutely blessed to have such amazing neighbors and love their family so we are hosting an awesome dinner fit for a king!
Next weekend: its a girls family weekend in the Fredericksburg! Yep that's right! All of us ladies on my dad's side of the family are taking a trip! There will be shopping, wine drinking and tons of fun to be had! I can't wait!
We are planning a group trip to Dewberry Farm sometime in October. We will be taking pumpkin patch pictures, selecting our pumpkin for our pumpkin carving get-together, eating lots of food, enjoying a hayride and exploring the corn maze! A perfect fall event!
And we can't forget Halloween! I love Halloween! We won't be dressing up this year but we look forward to decorating (I am guilty and have already started) and can't wait to pass out goodies to all the kids in the neighborhood!
Then the hubby turns 28 on Nov. 2nd! I hope to do something special for him. Got any good ideas ladies???
and last but certainly not least the hubby is participating in Art on the Avenue for the second year in a row! He is submitting a new piece of work he just created. Last year he sold one of his paintings! I am so proud of him! If you are in Houston area or the surrounding areas and want to come let me know. Just contact me here drlenz08@yahoo.com and I will send all the information. They will have a live band, food and alcohol! It's a lot of fun!

Ok so that is our life in a nutshell for the next few weeks and I know there will be a tons of things going on in between. Tomorrow I am going to post about my DIY fall wreath I just completed!

Hope you are all having a wonderful Wednesday!!!! xoxo

Let's Stay Together

2010-09-28T09:19:00.003-05:00

I am completely inspired by a post I came across on Look Linger Love, one of my fav new blogs! The idea actually comes from Molly Sims New York Apartment. A large canvas hangs above her couch with the lyrics of Heaven by Bryan Adams. Take a look.

I love it! It's so simple and then my mind started flowing with ideas. I can totally recreate this but instead use the lyrics of the song that Chris and I danced to at our wedding. It would be so meaningful and would be perfect to go in the front room that we are sloooooowly putting together. Canvas' are usually 30-50% off at Hobby Lobby and since Chris already has tons of paint from his own paint projects all I would need to get is the canvas and the lettering stencils.

I can't wait to have the lyrics of Let's Stay Together by Al Green hanging on my wall!!! This project might be making it to the top of my to do list! I just need to add a little more color to it. Stay tuned to see this project in the very near future!

Scarf Swap Excitement

2010-09-27T10:43:00.003-05:00

Please forgive my absence. Last week was rough and I just needed some me time :)!

I am sooooo sooooo late on posting about the wonderful scarf I received. My sweet friend Meredith hosted her 2nd Annual Scarf Swap and I was so thrilled to participate again this year. With fall already here (eek...it was in the 60's this morning) it was the perfect time to kick start the season. Plus you know how much I love scarves!!!

My sweet partner was Kendall. She is a new mom to the cutest little boy and I just adore reading her blog! I totally forgot to take a picture of the scarves I sent her so you will have to go visit her post to see them. When I received my package I was jumping for joy and couldn't wait to see what was inside! I love receiving fun mail and this was the beauty that was awaiting me:

A leopard print scarf with a touch of gold!

Look how much is sparkles!!!

I am in LOVE LOVE LOVE with my new scarf and I have already worn it twice!!! Thank you so much Kendall for my new addition and the sweet note that went with it!!! It is always a blessing meeting new wonderful blogging friends!

Follow Meredith's blog so you can participate in next year's scarf swap and to see all the wonderful things this creative mommy of two can do! xoxo

Losing the Blonde

2010-09-20T16:11:00.004-05:00

It's that time of year again and with fall quickly approaching (thank goodness) it's time to get into some warm, rich tones and that includes my hair! I love changing my hair but since I am trying to grow it out again the only thing I can really do is change the color. Plus there is nothing better than going darker to make my hair look healthier. So now here comes the decision making time. My appointment is set for next Friday so I have plenty of time to decide but your help would be greatly appreciated! Do I go super dark, do I put a few red tones in my hair, do I keep it more caramel tones? Help me out ladies! I have pulled together a couple of photos that have caught my eye but I don't know what to choose.

So what do you think?

Girls Night Out

2010-09-20T08:29:00.005-05:00

It's a Manic Monday already and I can tell that it is going to be really difficult to sit and write a long post right now. So until I can here are a few pictures from the weekend. It was spent celebrating birthdays and this was the fun girls night in honor of Miss Amy! Love ya girl!

Dinner at Tila's

Amy the birthday girl in the middle

The yummy cupcakes that we had to sneak in!
Partying at Eight
Jennifer, me, Amy & Claire
So much fun!

Love her to pieces!

The night was a blast!

So much more to post from the weekend but will have to do it later!

Hope you all had an amazing one!
xoxo

So Long Ago

2010-09-16T15:57:00.004-05:00

Last night I was going through a few of our old pictures

and I came across this one:

Dated back in 2003. Wow, 7 years ago is a long time!

He may sometimes get on my nerves, surprise me when I least expect it and still everyday I learn something new about him. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

I love this man!

I am slowly but surely working on my tabs and making a few changes on my blog. I have finally finished my Inspirations tab and it is now filled with some of my favorite room designs. Of course though they seem to change all the time and my list keeps growing!

In other news, I am excited that I am finally getting a sewing machine! I have so many projects that I have been dying to work on including curtains, pillows, aprons, table linens, elastic waist skirts and so much more. I used to sew when I was in high school but haven't touched a sewing machine since. I hope its kinda like ridding a bicycle...once you start you remember how to do it, lol! Anyone else out there sew? If so do you have any tips?

Only one more day of work left this week! I have a lot going on this weekend and it just can't get here fast enough! Hope you are all having a wonderful Thursday! xoxo

Randomness & Double Rainbows

2010-09-15T11:36:00.002-05:00

When I went to the mailbox yesterday afternoon this is part of what I received. Umm...maybe I have too many magazine subscriptions, lol. And this isn't even all of them. Still missing my house magazines, Better Home & Gardens, InStyle and a few others. Wow!

Ok I can't believe I am actually going to post about this but it's just too hard to resist. Please don't think less of me, lol! Does anyone watch Daniel Tosh? The guy is both hilarious and really stupid. It's hard not to laugh no matter how dumb it really is. Well the other night we were watching one of the millionth recorded Tosh O shows we have on our dvr and the stupid double rainbow guy clip came on. It's ridiculously stupid and crazy but you have to watch it! Especially to understand the next part of the story.

Tosh.0

Weds 10:30pm / 9:30c

Web Retreat - Double Rainbow Guy

http://www.comedycentral.com/

Tosh.0 Videos

Daniel Tosh

Web Redemption

Well last night a storm built up out of no where in Katy and when we looked outside lo and behold there was a full double rainbow. Yep ladies and gents it was hard to believe and too funny to resist and Chris and I had to re-enact the Double Rainbow Man's video. Although we didn't video ourselves during this event (Sorry Jenn...um this would almost be too embarrassing to post even if we did) but we did get some pictures of the crazy double rainbows and lots of laughs. Stupid I know, but even now I can't help but crack up just thinking about it!

And I totally forgot to post the pictures on the necklace project. So here are just a few. I plan on making more soon for others since a lot of my coworkers and friends requested it after I wore them.

This one is just in time for Halloween

OK that is enough randomness for the day. I hope all of you are having a great week so far. We are half way done...thank goodness! It's only noon and I already need a drink, lol!

I'll miss you babe!

2010-09-14T11:34:00.003-05:00

Ladies say goodbye to your hubby's! Football season has officially begun! It's their excuse not to get things done around the house, sit on the couch and lounge, drink lots of beer, gamble and hang out with the guys. There is fantasy football, college football and of course the NFL. It's a good thing there is more than one TV in our household. Oh and when did football become an all week and weekend thing. It's Sunday's, Monday's, Thursday's, Friday's and Saturday's. Props to you women that love football season just has much as the guys. I can handle the college football but the rest I can do without.

So with football season this just means more time out of the house for me, shopping and spending time with the girls.

After thinking about it that way it doesn't sound too bad!

Daydreaming of a new profession!

2010-09-09T14:24:00.004-05:00

I am seriously in the wrong profession! I have been told this a million times and I know that it is completely true. And lately I have been catching myself daydreaming of a new life changing job!

What my heart so desires is to be an Event/Wedding Coordinator. I love planning parties and gathering up resources for all the great vendors out there. I can create invitations, idea boards, I love DIY projects to help save money and I am super organized! My brain just works more on the creative side and doing this is my passion. Even my husband tells me I should go for it but to be honest I am completely terrified to take that leap. Honestly how does one go into doing this? Where do I start? One day I am going to do it! One day!

Another passion of mine is web design. Everyday I learn something new and although HTML and other design forms can seem like foreign language to some, for me I totally get it! I am thinking about taking a class soon to just get the ends and outs to better understand it all but I love the idea of being able to do this from home and make a good living while doing it!

And last but not least, my total off the wall dream job that will probably never happen would be to become a Tornado Chaser. Crazy...yes! But the thrill and adrenaline from chasing a tornado would be an amazing/crazy/scary event that I would never forget. I love storms and I must admit there is nothing better than popping in the movie Twister when the skies turning dark and the thunder is rolling. However, that would mean that I would have to go through all those science classes and that is just not happening.

One day my dreams will come true. I just have to have faith! xoxo

The Vampire Diaries returns!!!!

2010-09-08T16:27:00.006-05:00

Eeek!!!! I am so excited for the return of my favorite show tomorrow night! THE VAMPIRE DIARIES!!! I love this show and its been so long since I have found one that I have to watch the night it airs. Plus dvr it in case I feel like watching it again the next day. Am I the only one that shares this guilty pleasure?! If you watch this too what do you think is going to happen in tomorrow's season premiere?

CANNOT WAIT!!!!!

Rain & Day Dreaming

2010-09-08T08:17:00.005-05:00

Hello ladies! This week is gloomy and rainy here in Houston and honestly I don't really mind it. It's kinda nice going home to curl up on the couch and do nothing. And our plants and grass are really loving it too!

So you know all those things I was going to get done over the weekend? Yep, I only got one of those things accomplished and it was the necklaces. They were sooooo easy! I made four of them in an hour. The rest of the weekend was spent with friends and family just having fun and lounging around. It was a much needed relaxing weekend.

OK ladies, so I have a random question for you. I am sitting here day dreaming of the perfect job. If you could do any job in the world what would it be? Tomorrow I am going to fill you in on my top choices. Yes I have a few. You never know where life leads you.

Hope you all had an amazing Labor Day weekend! xoxo

Weekend To Do's

2010-09-03T10:38:00.003-05:00

I am so thrilled that this weekend is going to be a long 3 day weekend! It is much needed! We decided not to leave town for the Labor Day weekend but instead enjoy it at home. I have tons on my to-do list. One of the fun things is to make one of these...

I have all sorts of great ideas and I can't wait to see how many I can produce. Eek...I am so excited and can't wait to hit up the craft store. Thanks Amy for sharing how to make these on your blog!

Another craft item I hope to accomplish is some curtains for the front room. This might be a larger task than I am up for but with some patience I know I can do it! Wish me luck!

Task number three...sand and stain our desk. I have been putting this off for way too long! But now that I have the time I am determined to get it done!

And somewhere in between all my list of to-do's I am going to get a much needed pedicure. And I am not going to skimp on it either, I am getting the works. It will include a mask for my legs and feet, wax, hot stones and all the fabulous things that go with it. I can't wait! Maybe the hubby will join if he gets a wild hair!

Lot's of pictures to come next week!

So what all do you have planned for the Labor Day weekend? Anyone staying home too? I hope you all have a safe and fun filled weekend no matter what you have going on! xoxo