LIfe on Autumn Trail.... Our Pictures!

I am an expert procrastinator when I want to be.  Today, for example, I have a list that is a mile long of things I MUST do today.  Like really MUST do.  And Beckett is peacefully sleeping away, which means this is the ideal time to buckle down and tackle the important things like Facebook and blog reading.  Which brings me to this post.

I noticed that Kelly at Kelly's Korner was doing one of her Friday Link-Ups on a topic that I have actually been meaning to post about.... displaying pictures.  I have never done a link-up before, but I thought "why not?"  I will only be up until 3:00 am working on my to do list.  Anyhow, you may remember (or not), but awhile ago I decided to do several wall galleries since I have about ten trillion pictures of Beckett that I want to display.

Let me preface all of this by saying that my procrastination does have some limits - these pictures are straight from my iPhone and I didn't even bother trying to make anything look "nice."  I just don't have time to be a perfectionist.

Ok, here's the grand tour... 

Here is our entryway.  This was actually quite a project, but pretty cheap.  My mom gave me a bunch of gold pictures frames.  I worked for awhile on picking different arrangements and colors and then painted, sanded, and repainted them all to get that "worn" look.  The most expensive part was getting custom frames and glass, but I think they turned out well!

The one with the big M on it has a chalkboard inside.  I plan to add a picture to it, but I think I will wait until B gets a little older.

To the left of our entry way is our dining room.  These watercolors were done by my great uncle.  They are different seasonal landscapes and I love them!  The picture frames are from Aaron brothers and I had custom mats done at Hobby Lobby.

This is our living room.  I found these oversize frames at Z Gallerie.

The shelf collection is all from Pottery Barn about 9 years ago.  I am not crazy about it anymore, but that's one project I am not messing with for awhile!

Moving on to the hallway....  I ordered these canvas prints from Costco.  They are a great deal and a very good quality!  

And, finally, our bedroom.  This was another major project for me.  I wanted a sorta eclectic look, but it ended up being a pretty standard wall gallery.  I am pretty proud of myself because I did all of the arranging, measuring, drilling, and hanging by myself.  Which means I better sleep with a pillow over my head just in case my DIY skills aren't really so great!  ha!

All of the frames in our bedroom are also from Aaron Brothers.  I am a big fan of their penny sale!

Below are some really cool watercolors that my grandmother got in Paris in the 1950's.  I love art that has sentimental meaning!  

Well, that's the big tour.  Thanks for stopping by!

Total Randoms From the Past Two Weeks....

Excuse this mess of a post....  I just had a bunch of complete random pictures and things that I thought I would throw together in a big ole mishmash.  Then the little teacher in me thought I would be all cutesy and try to tie all of the randomness together with an "A, B, C" theme.  Someone just stop me.

Well, anyhow, here are pictures from the last two weeks.  You can begin rolling your eyes at me now.

A is for Aquarium: We met the Thomann's at the Grapevine Aquarium.  It is a very cool place!  I plan to get a pass this fall because Beckett will be at the perfect age to start enjoying it.  He loved watching the fish and walking along the rocks.

B is for Beckett (of course!)

C is for Carter: Beckett and Carter and starting to interact more and it's so fun to watch!

D is for Dinner Party: K-Dogg turned 40!! Whoop, Whoop!  Emily threw him an amazing dinner party -delicious wines, chef, and great friends included.  VERY fun!

E is for ER: Yep, Guy had to drive himself to the Emergency Room.  But not to worry... he is on the mend now!

F is for Family: We have had lots of family time lately!  Even though all of our family is in Oklahoma, everyone is really sweet to drive a long distance just to spend time with Beckett.  

G is for Guy: Yep, that's him in a  NASCAR suit and he really did drive a car.  More on that later....

H is for Hadley: "C'mon mom, can't you enjoy your margarita while I do gymnastics on your shoulder?"

I is for ICKY:  The picture speaks for itself.  Just another "essential" I found at Home Depot.  Really?

K is for Kroger: Little man just started riding in the kiddie carts.  Too bad it doesn't go "beep beep."

M is for McCalister's: A good choice for dinner when Guy travels all week.

P is for the park  

R is for remote: B's new obsession....

S is for Sunsets

T is for toys:  The ball popper remains a favorite.  

W is for Water: This is about all you can do in the Texas heat.  

Y is for yummy: My mom treated us to a yummy sushi dinner this weekend.  Tuna Tower?  Yes, please.

And, YES, I did leave out a few letters.  I'm no longer paid to think about the alphabet, so it was hard to get too motivated to be creative.  ha!

Summertime Treats

It's just ridiculously hot around here.  Stupid hot.  Like I can't even go on a walk after 8:30 am hot.  But this morning B and I decided to brave the temps and play outside.  He's obsessed with crawling in the grass, climbing on our rocks, digging in the dirt, and pulling leaves - all of the usual boy stuff.

He stayed on our picnic blanket for about 5.2 seconds.

It's a wonder he even looked at me!

We played with bubbles - which he thought was all kinds of fun.

And watched the neighborhood kids ride their bikes.

And, of course, talked about dogs and airplanes.

But it was sooooo hot!  I thought the perfect treat might be to enjoy a popsicle.  Several months ago I bought a baby popsicle mold and finally got around to using the other day.  I invented a little "recipe" that consisted of yo baby yogurt, whole milk, banana, and frozen fruit - basically the same recipe I make for his smoothies.  

I figured it would also help his gums feel better.  Teething stinks!

"Yum, yum, momma!"

He quickly devoured the first one and wanted a second.

But that one was just not the same..... It was straight from the freezer so he couldn't bite right into it.  Such a sad little cry!

Love my sweet boy - and love enjoying the simple acts of playing outside and enjoying popsicles with him!