I'm Dreaming of a Burlap Christmas

Decorating for Christmas while listening to Christmas music is one of my favorite things in the world.  I look forward to it all year.  I traditionally decorate with apple reds and greens to make the house look all merry and bright.  This year I thought I would mix it up a bit, and I am quite pleased with how it turned out.  It's not quite as bright, but I think it's still pretty darn merry.

Because our house has a lot more neutral colors--creams, taupes, blues, etc-- I wanted our Christmas decorations to work well with what we already had going on.  I really felt like the red & green would throw that off a bit, so I went with a more natural look for our decor.  Now, buying all new Christmas decorations can get pricey, so I decided to make a lot of them myself.  And with the help of Pinterest (I am seeing a recurring theme here...), I pulled it off on the cheap.  And I had some fun with it, too.  Onward to the goods...

Ruffled tree skirt that required NO sewing. Booya.

This year's tree with lots of homespun decorations.

Some of our ornaments...

His and hers burlap stockings

Advent calendar created by my dear friend Kelsey Hency for  her new business Salt.
Check out her advent blog at atasteofsalt.com

Brown paper packages tied up with string...

....these are a few of my favorite things.

In the words of one of my sweet little muchkins at school, "Miss Emmy, Crimmas comin'!" And I can hardly wait!

Polos Got Me Down

I am a young gal in my twenties.  I may not be on the cutting edge of fashion, but I enjoy clothes and shopping and things of that nature.

This is what my closet now consists of...

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

I like clothes. I wear a unisex polo daily.  These two things are not compatible.

My not-so-new-anymore job has a strictly enforced dress code.  Everyday we wear a polo embroidered with our logo, black pants, black flats, and a black cardigan (optional for cold weather).  Now, in all fairness, I knew this was the deal from the get-go.  I didn't love the idea, but it came with the job, and that was that.  In the summer months, I whined a bit about it, but I don't care that much for summer clothes, so I was able to get past it.  But now we are in the prime of my favorite seasonal attire.  I don't love winter weather per se, but I love the clothing/accessories that come with it. Boots, scarves, layers, oh my!  Do I get to wear these things?  On the weekend, yes, but those days are much too few and far between for my liking.  My boots are collecting dust, and my scarves have fallen to the bottom of my drawer.  I don't even recognize my closet with all the three-button collars.  Needless to say, I am quite excited about the upcoming two week polo hiatus that is Christmas break.

Now, I think it is only fair that I give the polos a teensy smidge of credit.  (I can't believe I just said that, and I really can't believe I didn't delete it immediately.)  The Uniform, as it is called, has revolutionized my mornings.  There used to be mornings where I would stare at my closet for-ev-er. I may try on 10 different outfit combinations (almost always ending up back to the first outfit-- why do we gals do that?), and then run out the door ranting about how I had nothing to wear and how late I was going to be.  I no longer have that problem.  I always have something to wear...the same thing I wore yesterday and the same thing I will wear tomorrow.  There is something to be said for how easy that makes my mornings.  I can now get dressed for work in a fog of sleepiness, and for that I am thankful.

Now let me be clear. I know this is a matter of no great consequence.  I know this is a very worldly complaint.  But I just had to get it out.  I trust that you you will forgive me for my rant.

Give Thanks

Another feather in my adult  cap-- I hosted my first Thanksgiving! Luckily, I had the help of my mom to pull off preparing the meal.  Our biggest feat was that we managed to cook the entire meal in our teensy, tiny kitchen that has one little oven and virtually no counter space. Whew! We did it, and it was delish.  Mom made the turkey and dressing, and I made all of the side dishes.  It was really fun trying out some new recipes, and overall it was a great success.  But more than anything, Austin and I loved having my parents, brother, and grandmother here for the occasion.  Here are a few pictures to document the occasion...

Hope everyone had a Happy Happy Thanksgiving, too! We have so much to be thankful for, and it was so wonderful to be able to celebrate our blessings with family.  "Let us come before His presence with Thanksgiving; Let us make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms." -Psalm 95:2

It felt like forever waiting for 1:30 p.m. on Friday to arrive. It was finally time for the highly anticipated Razorback game... How quickly it went from high-fives and bear hugs to hanging our heads in our hands.... It was a rough few hours for the Hog fans, but we enjoyed our time spent at #3 in the country.  It was good while it lasted.

Tomorrow it's back to the grind for this gal. My week off was much needed and much appreciated.  The Christmas countdown starts now...

My Personal Pinterest Party

It was a Saturday night, and the hubs had to work. What's a gal to do?  Here is where most spunky twenty-somethings would have tale about painting the town.  This old soul decided to stay home and craft. (Can you handle the fact that I just used "craft" as a verb?) I went out and grabbed the goods to make a couple things I had seen on pinterest and got busy.  By the end of the evening, I had a new wreath and some art for the wall. Productivity at it's finest. Here is my handiwork...

Burlap wreath-- this thing was so easy! But have you ever worked with burlap? It is messy fo' reals.

Map art-- also sooo easy! Maps of where we met, where we married, and where we live. I like the idea of some of the "art" on the walls having a little personal meaning. And it gave me a chance to cut up and dispose of the '04 atlas that has been living in the back of Austin's car for way too long.

Nothing fancy, but it was fun making something out of nothing.  Pinterest is perfect for people like me-- not creative enough to come up with great ideas on my own but can imitate with the best of 'em! And if you notice the trend, I am always careful to pick projects that are e.a.s.y.

Slowly but surely our walls are looking a little less bare. Hopefully I will have more to show soon!

Big Week for the Bells

I think it's safe to say I'm a once-per-month-blogger. Yet again, I'm sorry about that.  You can go ahead and add it to the list of my shortcomings. But for now I am going to fill you in on the best 10 days we've had in a very long time...Fast recap style...

Day #1: I FOUND OUT I PASSED MY TEST! So relieved. So excited!

Then off to the engagement party for Patty & Grace in LR-- great night celebrating the happy couple! (Bad sister. No camera. Sad face.)

Day#2: Sleep in. Quick visit with our dear friends Dave and Rach who happened to be in town from KC! (Birthday shout-out today to my girl, Rachel!) Then dinner and late night hanging-out with great friends!

Day#3: Sleep in. Lunch with sweet friends and their baby boy (and baby boy #2 on the way)! Golf for Austy, and for me, a quick visit with a former therapy patient that warmed my heart. Dinner with Mom and Dad at a LR favorite. Then more late night catching up with friends about town.

Day #4: Early morning jet-setting to Scottsdale for fall break (perk of working at a school!). Spent the rest of the day doing this...

Then it was out to dinner at the swanky Bloom restaurant. Delish.

Day #5: Sleep in. Eat. Shop. Eat. Relax poolside. Yummy dinner on the patio of 5th and Wine.  (Hard to take pictures with just the two of us...)

Day #6: Sleep in. Eat. More poolside reading... (Austy loves the shade. I love the sun. We sat far apart.)

Then we were invited over to the home of our family friends for dinner. So handy knowing the locals!

Day #7: Fly back to AR. Drive home to TN. Unpack, do laundry, clean house, get excited for the upcoming weekend.

Day #8: Mom and Dad to town. Aunt, Uncle, & Cousin from St. Louis to town. Golfing at Mirimichi for Austin & Dad. Cafe Eclectic for the rest of us. Yum! Afternoon of visiting and relaxing. Cheffie's for a light dinner. Surprise visit from Addie who was in town from CO. We loved it all.

Day #9: Rise, shine, & road trip to Oxford. Hogs vs. Ole Miss.

Game was too close for comfort, but we had a fabulous time. Woo pig!
Now... to perhaps everyone's favorite part of the week...DINNER. We had dinner at the Elegant Farmer and oh my word. Everyone was stealing off everyone else's plate for a taste. Best meal. Then home for Game 3 of the World Series. House full of Cards fans rooting them on for a big win!

Day #10: Sleep in. Brunch at Blue Plate (Brother Juniper's had an unfortunate wait list). Relax, relax, relax. Will the weekend to last a bit longer. Game 4 of World Series... sad face for the redbirds. And our week of bliss drew to a close.

Today it was back to the grind. It was so fun to see all the sweet faces of my babies at work. Toddlers sure do miss you when you're gone, and they welcomed me back with open arms and a couple squeals. Not too shabby coming back to that.

Now it's the top of the 7th in game 5 of the World Series. Tie ballgame.  Let's go, Cards!

Loooong Overdue

Contrary to popular belief after this long blogging hiatus, we are alive and well.  My apologies for the delay; however I must cite #1 of the disclaimer in my initial post. Sometimes life just gets in the way.  But I'm here now and that's what matters, right?  We've been busy with a lot of things this last month, so I'll just hit the highpoints...

Most importantly... PATTY IS GETTING MARRIED!! Yup, that's right. My big brother asked his leading lady to tie the knot. We couldn't be more excited! Patrick and Grace are a fun and fabulous couple! I'm so thrilled to be gaining a sister! Here is look at the happy couple just hours after the proposal...

I also got to make a quick trip home to spend my birthday with some of my dear friends!  We got to visit, shop, relax by the pool, and enjoy a fun dinner outside on a beautiful night! I miss you gals!

Razorback football is underway, and we made the trek up to Fayetteville to catch the season opener. So much fun to spend the long, holiday weekend with family and friends and cheer the Hogs on to a victory.  Thanks to the Cashion family for welcoming us at their tailgate!

Another highlight of this trip was getting to meet my dear friend Amber's baby boy Cooper! I could kick myself for not taking any pictures during this visit, but it was so wonderful to catch up with her and hold that sweet boy! Love that tiny guy already!

Studying is in full force at the Bell house, and this time it's not Austin. A while back I decided to work on some additional certification. Well, it's a three-year application process, and I submitted my application in July and found out last month that I get to sit for the exam on Oct. 3...which is like 9 days away. Yikes.  My sweet friend Rachel (who talked me into this whole bettering myself with education thing) met me halfway for a study session a couple weeks ago. This was the overall feeling....

We survived the weekend filled with books and laughter, and the takeway feeling was one of immense productivity. Thanks, Rach!

I would say this test has been the #1 reason to blame for my falling off the face of the blog world. So hopefully after the test I will come back full force with some house updates! I'm excited to share what's been going on around this place... but for now, it's back to the books. My last test EVER. I can hear the hallelujah chorus.  Prayers on October 3rd are welcome and much appreciated!

The Epiphany

Over the last few years, my dad and I have had a recurring conversation about a question I frequently ask-- when will I officially feel like a grown up? I got married, I finished school, I have a big girl job, I've moved away to a new state, and I am now a homeowner.  Yet somehow I've continued to feel like a kid playing house. I mean, I do all the grown-up things that aren't fun--work 40 hrs/week, pay taxes, have an appointment to set up a termite contract, and I even use words like "escrow." So what gives?  My dad said it would be a smooth, subtle transition.  He said I wouldn't even realize it, and then I would look back a few years and a couple of kiddos down the road and wonder when I became this adult person.  Well, Dad, you are right about a lot of things, but not this time... My transition felt anything but subtle...

I'm an adult, and it hit me like a ton of bricks with one statement--"Man, we really needed this rain."

I uttered those words this weekend, and in that instant I felt like I morphed from a bouncing twenty-something to a card-carrying AARP member.  Me? Worried about my lawn? Who is this person?

Apparently I now appreciate rain for landscaping purposes.  And in case that is not enough, we even purchased a sprinkler. 

We got it all set up in just the right spot so it would reach all the corners of the yard.  Five minutes of sprinkling later, this happened....

And ya know what, we really needed that rain.

So now here we are...rain lovin', sprinkler-buyin', lawn-waterin' grown-ups. I hope you still recognize us.

Another visitor & a porch sneak peek!

The Bell hotel just keeps hopping!  My mom came to town this weekend for the first time since she & my sweet dad helped on move-in day (26 ft U-Haul and 96 degree heat do not happy movers make...). It was so great to spend the weekend with her, and I loved showing her how our little nest was coming right along!  We bounced all around town, ate lots of good food, and worked on some things around the house.  If you know my mother, you know she is a workhorse.  Laundry machines, completed tasks, and the smell of bleach are her happy place.  If you know me, you know I did not inherit these genes. So having her here was both enjoyable and also very beneficial to us & our home!

At Trivia Night at a local spot...Team Know Nothin' did in fact know basically nothing.

Also, true to form, my mother arrived bearing gifts. She delivered various items that I had called about saying, "Is this at your house?? I can't find it anywhere!"And also a little something original for our guests...

Alice is so funny & clever. And those genes I did inherit. (I kid, I kid.)

Now, let's move on to that screened-in porch that I've been dying to share! There is still quite a bit of cutesy-ing up to do out there, but here is the end of the porch that is almost complete.

And I must give a shout out here to my oh-so-talented and generous brother in law Owen!  He is a graphic designer and so sweetly put together the prints below within 24 hours of my request.  (Talk about service!) I absolutely love the colors on that open wall space. The custom Arkansas print (my nod to the homeland) is my favorite.  THANKS AGAIN, O!

Luckily, the fabric I had ordered arrived this weekend (yay!), so I took advantage of mom's speedy sewing skills, and we whipped out those coral ikat pillows for added color in this sweet little spot!

As if that wasn't enough for the weekend, I did one more quick, little crafty project to help carry that coral print over to the other end of the porch.  Fabric-covered flower pots--so cute and so easy! (Thank you to Pinterest for the idea, and thank you to Allibrad for getting me absolutely hooked on Pinterest!) Loved how this one turned out!

Now onto my second week of vacation... (It's okay that you feel that way. I'd hate me, too.) Hope everyone had a happy, happy weekend!

Special Delivery!

Just a quick update to announce...OUR COUCHES HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED!!  We are so thrilled that we could shout it from the rooftops! We spent the first several weeks in our new house with nowhere comfortable to sit....as in I tuned in weekly to my must-see TV shows from a dining room chair. My tush and back have been pouting for weeks. Buuut we are back in business!  And for those of you who know my childlike spilling tendencies and are worried about stains on the cream couches...rest easy! They are slipcovered & totally washable. Whoop whoop!

So there is my blank canvas.  The living room is neutral city, and I can't wait to add a bit of color and bring it to life. But for now, I think I will go stretch out and relax.

The Prodigal Blogger Returns

I knew I would be bad at this.  It's been about 3 weeks since my last post, but time flies when you've moved away, are trying to settle into a new home, have both started new jobs, and are trying to meet new friends! But never fear-- I'm back with updates o' plenty!

Perhaps the most fun tidbits are all the visitors who have come to town! The Bell hotel has been in full swing, and we have loved every minute of it.  Our first full weekend here we welcomed Austin's parents to town! We shopped, visited the farmer's market, & ate some delicious food!

The following weekend Alex & Lauren came to town for the July 4th holiday!  We relaxed by the pool, checked out a baseball game (we left before the fireworks...), and did a little Independence Day grilling.  What's July 4th without some yummy food on the backporch?!

It was strange having the tables turned because only about 3-4 years ago we were all visiting them here....and apparently we love eating at the same places...

Lunch at Pei Wei circa June, 2007 vs. July 4, 2011

Great times with the Bell fam! Now we've just got to get Em, John, & the kiddos over here!

Now I'm sad to report that we did NOT take any photos with these next visitors, but I must say that having them here was good for my soul.  My dear friend Allison was here visiting her family (bonus that they live in town!), so we got to spend some time with her and Evie Lou. It was a delight! We even got to watch the Bach-ette like old times! How I miss those days and my weekly visits with this sweet, sweet friend! It was so fun seeing how much Ev has grown already! She is the busiest, sweetest little toddler, and we miss her so!  I'm borrowing a picture from Allison's blog because you just have to see this precious face!!

This concludes the tales of our visitors...for now. But we welcome company, so come on over! 

The less photo-worthy updates include our new jobs! It's been a little hectic as we get adjusted to the changes for both of us, but I would say so far, so good.  No major hiccups, so there's something to be said for that.  Austin's current rotation is one of his lighter loads for the year, so he is getting eased into his role as Dr. Bell.  And, although getting acquainted with my job has been a bit stressful, I have been spending my days with some of the sweetest little faces in the world. Everyday I am on the receiving end of more hugs and kisses than I could ever ask for, so I can't complain.  My new tiny little friends are my joy.

Last, but certainly not least (especially in the eyes of my husband), is our latest piece of excitement.  We are the proud owners of two cars with automatic transmissions! Austin has been trying to sell his stick-shift for months, and we finally found a gal who was looking for just that. It was truly a miracle.  So with sentimental hearts, we bid farewell to the silver Altima.  She was good to us, but it was her time to go. It is well with my soul.

One final note...did I mention that my work schedule is incredible? After this week, I have a two week vacation. Yup. Two weeks. And yes, that is how long I have been working so far. I'm super excited for more visitors who are making the trek over, and I'm also hoping to make some serious progress on the casa. We are still kind of living in bare bones, so there is much to do, and I can't wait to get started! My next post will definitely have to be about the newest, most comfortable addition to the house... stay tuned!

A Work In Progress

I am sad to report that, as of tomorrow, our two weeks of jobless merriment are coming to a close...at least for the good doctor.  Austin reports at 5:45am for his first official day as an intern.  Let the games begin.  I, on the other hand, have until July 5th to relish in my time spent off the clock.  Although a break from the working world has been nice, I wouldn't necessarily call the last two weeks "vacation" (although I've still been getting paid-- heartfelt shout out to saved up paid time off at ACH!).  We have been slaving away on our new home, and, while it remains to be a serious work in progress, we finally have a few things to show for our blood, sweat, & tears! (Ok, you got me, there haven't really been any tears.  I just liked the drama of it.)  Onward to the goods!

First things first--while we dearly love our sweet little house built in 1952, one glance told us that it's original hardwood floors hadn't been given the TLC that they needed all these years.  The floors were scratched and stained, and they felt gritty on your bare feet.  Ick.  I wish I had a photo that did the damage justice, but I don't...they are awfully careful to make sure that the real estate photos show only the best in a home... But I'm not mad because now we have beautifully refinished floors!  Here's a little peek...

Although I am super pleased with how the floors turned out, I certainly cannot take credit.  So let's move along to the good stuff for which Austin and I can proudly pat ourselves on the back!

So what do ya get when you cross my BIG vision for this house & my teensy budget for new furniture?

Yup. And there's more where that came from.  We used real paint & paintbrushes, too, but this sight just made me laugh.  

So here are a few before and after shots for a quick look at our handiwork...

The desk in the study/guest room #2 is cream, so we couldn't have this headboard sticking out like a sore thumb now could we?!

Happy in it's new home and ready for visitors!

Also, that old headboard had a bookcase that was stained to match.  We forgot to snap a "before" picture of it, but here is the glorious "after"!  

We stained it a much darker color to better fit in it's new home in guest room #1!  And yes, I LOVE books.  I'm a closet librarian.

Also, in guest room #1, we gave an old beat up side table (circa Bell bachelor pad days) a fresh face!

 This room is also ready for visitors! Aren't you just itching to come see us?!

And last but certainly not least, my favorite transformation of all--the dining chairs!  I picked up this set of 6 beauties on craigslist for quite a bargain, and I've been dying freshen them up.  

 All these lovelies needed was a little paint, elbow grease, and a power sander-wielding husband.

Get a load of that muscle shirt from glory days gone by. Go Mounties!

And they are finally finished!!

Light & airy, don't you think?!

I think a little side by side comparison action is warranted here...

And that is all I have to say about that.  Several other projects are in the works, but with grown-up work starting back soon, who knows when they will be completed.  Hope these goodies will tide you over.  

Whew! That was a long post.  Are über lengthy posts poor blogging etiquette? If so, sue me.  I'm new to this.  And if you stuck with it until the end, you are a true friend (or family member- hi mom & dad!).

More to come as we slog away and make this house our new home...