Happy Feet

I couldn't NOT share this find!  I will let the pictures/captions speak for themselves:

Stuart Weitzman Alex Wedge 

$365 at Piperlime

Mossimo Pam Wedge

$24.99 at Target

I got so excited that my 6 year old had to remind me we were actually at Target to buy a birthday present for his friend!

XOXO,

Marlene

Fashion Friday...Spring's Hottest Shoes

Allow myself to introduce...myself (what, you're not an Austin Powers fan?).  I'm Marlene.  Better known as the "Accessorize" portion of this blog.  Yes, I've been delinquent in my posts, but quite frankly, Rachel just does an outstanding job and I lost interest.  She begged me to do a Fashion Friday, so here I am.

I've been on a Spring shoe kick for the last week.  Here are my purchases:

Toms Ballet Flats

The only thing that bugs me is the gigantic TOMS label on the back.  I tried to remove it but it's impossible to do without wrecking the shoe. You can read more about my love for labels here. I'm actually wearing them today and they are VERY comfortable.  A word of advice...I normally wear a 6.5 so that's what I ordered, but I probably could wear a 6. 

Zigi Ruler sandal

I haven't received these yet but I just love the color and little studs. I also like the fact that it has a tiny heel so they aren't completely flat.  When If I decide to blog again, I'll let you know how they fit.

Sam Edelman Gigi sandal

If you don't own this sandal in at least one color then you are missing out. I bought the gold two years ago and have worn them to death.  And they still look GREAT! I did return this pair, though.  The ankle strap was too ivory for me and the thong strap was too glittery.  They come in a million colors and hold up really well.  

Yellow Box Auntie sandal

Are you seeing a theme?  Apparently, regular flip flops can aggravate bunions (sorry).  Having a strap holding the shoe on relieves some of the pressure on your toes.  I got these on sale and was totally pumped. I was even more pumped when I tried them on.  Then I noticed the medallions were sewed on with fishing line and one of the "lines" broke.  I'm trying to decide if I should ship them back or simply take them to a shoe shop.  I'm leaning toward repairing them because they were so cheap.  

And in my dream world....

Miu Miu Roccia Rope Wedge

If anyone would like to make a contribution so I can own these, I am more than willing to accept them!  

XOXO,

M

A Boys Room...Moving Up In the World

My little man isn't exactly little any more. He's growing up...way too fast for me, but it's still happening. He was 6 years old and had just finished kindergarten when we moved into our old house. Flash forward a few years and he is now 10 and well into his 4th grade year.

He has changed and it was time for his room to reflect that...here is what it looked like before...

And here are the after pictures...



The beds went from single to bunked. A new area rug and window panels were added as well as sconces for both bunks. The antique corner desk (Pennsylvania House...and yes, I got it from the side of the road) was paired with a hand-me-down chair that I painted black. I was able to get some old wood (for free) from the local wrecking yard that I cut into two shelves and mounted with metal brackets from Home Depot. After a quick trip to my favorite thrift store, I left with an old stop sign, a vintage architecture light, the "lucky" mason jar, an antique table fan, and a curio shelf that was hung and turned into storage for his Lego men. Paper storage was hung on the wall beside the desk for those afternoons when he has "SO" much homework. The closet door is a fun little place for chalkboard drawings, and he still has the perfect spot for his backpack. Mr. T moved the $1 book shelves from the other side of the room and I hung part of his pennant collection from the different cities we have traveled to. The bedding is the same...I just perked it up with a bottle of Rit Dye in Denim.

What's better than a fresh, new, organized space? Spending some great quality time with my little man!!!

Rachel :)

Hey Girl...We have a Winner!!

If you don't know who Ryan Gosling is...watch this...

So now that you know, the crew over at Handmade Ryan has come up with some ridiculously funny stuff...check these out...

Oh Ryan...how did you know? Actually, it was 6...but who is counting? And the winner of the custom frame by the Lemonade Stand is...comment number 3...Grammy Goodwill! Congrats!!!

Rachel :)

p.s....Ryan...I heart you... 

all images from Handmade Ryan Gosling

This, That, and a GIVEAWAY!!!

I have a few things going on over at my old house...a DIY project, a bedroom redo, and of course several hundred ideas floating around in my brain...but today I'm super excited to bring you our first GIVEAWAY! In case you haven't noticed, we have our first blog sponsor (check out that little button on the right side of your screen)...The Lemonade Stand!

The Lemonade Stand is a wonderful business started by two stay-at-home moms turned entrepreneurs. They hand cut, sand, paint pictures frames and are now offering even more! You can find them via their website, their Etsy store, or their facebook page.

...to win this oh so cute, handmade, distressed lime green 5 x 7 frame...simply leave a comment on this post! We will pick a number at random and ship it to you the next day. And...the giveaway ends at midnight Friday, February 10th so we can get this frame to you by Valentine's Day! This is a first for us, so become a follower on our blog and "like" The Lemonade Stand on Facebook to keep up with their latest products and more giveaways...

Happy Tuesday!

Rachel :)

The Perfect Gift for that Special Someone

I need to back up a few weeks. While everyone is excited and talking about Valentines Day, I'm still stuck on Christmas. Specifically, the gift I gave Mr. T this year...I called it the "Bucket of Fun" and it is what the name says...a bucket filled with fun things for us to do! After 16 years, two kids, a mortgage, a dog, work and everything else, it can be hard to carve time out of the day week month for each other. Mr. T loves to go out...dinner, movies, anything! It's not that easy to coordinate his call schedule with baseball, dance, school activities, and life. By putting this together, dates are planned and paid for...all we have to do is schedule the babysitter.

Here's the breakdown of what was in the bucket:

The Bucket...a refillable movie theatre popcorn bucket. We can take it to the movies and have it filled for $3.50 every time we go.

Movie Tickets...a booklet of $25 in coupons that are good for movie tickets and snacks. This should give us two movie dates.

Bowling Gift Card...I know its hokey, but we like to go bowling. This gift card will pay for our shoes and four games.

Dinner Gift Cards times Two...I included two gift cards to two different restaurants. We can add this with something else or just go out for a nice dinner.

Theatre Tickets I...I am excited about this. It is one of two things that had a specific date. Next weekend we get to see Frost/Nixon. He made sure to ask for the weekend off and the babysitter is already lined up...yay!

Theatre Tickets II...I'm even more excited about this date. In March we have tickets to see Damn Yankees. Friends of ours have tickets for the same night, so it will be a fun double date!

Zip lining...You read that right...Mr. T's favorite thing to do! While he is super excited, my palms are already sweaty!! I bought these from Groupon in the fall and they don't expire until the end of April. A few friends purchased them as well, so it will be a scary but fun group date.

Mr. T was thrilled with this! It was all about him and what he likes to do. When it comes to gifts there is always something we want or need for the house and let's face it, while 7 pallets of sod for your anniversary or new wiring in the living room for Christmas are great...this year it was about him. With a birthday in May, the bucket might need to be refilled then. Something tells me I might have started a new tradition!

Fill a bucket and give it to your loved one...

Rachel :)

The Best (Vegetarian) Tacos Ever...

The Smurfs winter break was three weeks this year, so a few days after New Years we packed up and headed for warmer weather...the beach? Florida? California? Nope...Texas! We definitely don't take your run of the mill family vacations...the kids have never been to Disney and we don't go to the beach all that much. My theory is that there are a lot of places I want to see in this great, big world of ours and it's not going to happen if we run to the beach or Orlando every chance we get. Last year for spring break, when all of our friends were packing their swimsuits, we packed our snow bibs and headed out west for a week of skiing and snow...

Our return trip didn't go exactly as planned when our airline overbooked our flight. While most people complain and groan when this happens, we took the bump, and were rewarded with another day in Colorado and eight round trip tickets to ANYWHERE they fly...oh yeah...Mr T. was fretting if we had made the right decision, and I was doing my happy dance. Everyone knows how expensive it is for a family of four to fly.

Fast forward eight months, and we were on our way to San Antonio, excited to catch up with old friends and soak up some wonderful culture. We walked a ton, saw even more, and ate our way through this great city.

Peas and Thank You



And while I know I will never eat guacamole as good as Boudros, I did come home and find a great recipe for Roasted Chic Pea Tacos. One of the BEST recipes I have ever made, it's a must have for the recipe book. I'm not a huge fan of meat (blah) and generally use black beans on my tacos, so I was super excited to have something new to try. Check these out...they are the best things you will ever put in your mouth!!

Rachel :)

Roasted Chic Pea Tacos via Peas and Thank You:

Our favorite way to eat chickpeas and quite possibly the best tacos ever.

Ingredients (8 tacos)

• 2 t. chili powder
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 1/4 t. onion powder
• 1/4 t. dried oregano
• 1 1/2 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. sea salt
• 1 T. lime juice
• 2 T. water
• One 14 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 8 organic taco shells (i.e. Trader Joe’s brand)
• Taco trimmings: shredded cabbage, tomato, guacamole, non-dairy (i.e. Daiya) or organic cheese, etc.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, salt, lime juice and water.
• Add chickpeas and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Place chickpeas on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring once during cooking, until chickpeas are slightly crispy.
• Prepare taco shells according to package directions. Fill with chickpeas and desired toppings.