{new house update}

Hi bloggers!

Trying to decide what to do today. If the weather/lighting/sunshine cooperates I'd like to snap some pics of my house and take you on a tour. Wouldn't that be fun? However, it's been rainy, tornado-y, and overcast so I don't know that I could get any very good pictures....and let's be honest, do it the right way or don't do it at all.

I'm going to scour my computer today for pictures and send them to get printed. I've been meaning to do this for several weeks, but always get "too busy" doing other stuff to actually get it done. Today seems like the perfect day.

I got the best floating shelves last fall from Kohls. They have a leveling device built into the mounting bracket and they were perfect for my living room. Remember them?

Anyway, I was at Gordman's yesterday and I saw some white floating shelves and I debated on getting them or not. I walked away empty handed, only because I was so impressed with THESE shelves and I'd like more if I could find them. I'm planning on hanging them in my bedroom since I have nothing on my bedroom walls. *tragic, I know*

So, there ya have it! My "to do" list for the day. Wish me luck!

{in good times and in bad}

I have a really fun job. No, really I do. I work for a large, well respecated ambulance service serving the fine citizens of Oklahoma City. We're #1 in the country for cardiac arrest saves, we have the coolest equipment and I work the the best and brightest paramedics and EMTs in the country. I enjoy coming to work every day, anxious to see what the day holds in store for us.

Sometimes we sit, joke around and be silly.

We buy rink dinky toys at gas stations, pharmacies, hospital gift shops and play with them. (here, we attached a $3 plastic basketball hoop to the ambulance and played basketball at 3am)
We work with our friends the local fire deparments.

And then we have incidents like yesterday where tornadoes hit our area. This is in eastern OKC, at I-40 and Choctaw Road. This building was a Loves and as you can see, it's completely demolished.

Another view of the same Loves.

It's amazing to me how such desastation can happen in such a short period of time. We were on scene moments after the tornado hit and luckily injuries were minimal, although there are 2 confirmed fatalities. I worked out there for 6 hours and finally was able to get some relief out there around 12:30am so I could go home. Thank you co-workers for your help and assitance in making the search, rescue and treatment go so smoothly. Thank you to police and fire for your assistance with the downed power lines, traffic, road blocks and search and rescue. We are, in fact, the masters of disaster.

{My New Favorite Thing}

Very rarely do I find something and then think "sweet sassy molassey! I absolutely must tell everyone about this!" That is, until today...

When I was a kid my favorite thing was when my mom would make breakfast for dinner. It always felt so silly to me. Kinda like when you had "backwards day" in school. I'm 25 years old and still crazy about breakfast for dinner. What's not to love? Well, living by yourself, I find it really difficult to cook for 1 sometimes. I make too much or not enough. There's never a middle ground.

My mom went to the grocery store a few weeks ago and bought me a can of this, I was VERY skeptical at first. Really? Pancake batter out of *gulp* a can?!?!? And not only that, but.....organic?!?!? Grrrrreat, so it'll be disgusting AND taste like cardboard, thanks mom.

Boy was I wrong. So very wrong. Deliciously wrong. It's the best thing since..well...batter in a can! I'm hooked! All you do is squirt in in your skillet/griddle wait a few minutes and then flip it. They're light and fluffy and taste great! I've been adding chocolate chips to mine and then rolling them up like a taquito. I'm weird, I know.

Anyway, please please please try this. You'll love it, I promise!

{spring sofa table}

I recently changed up my sofa table with some spring decor. It's so light and charming. Not too crowded, enough space to not feel cluttered.

Apothecary jar with "W" (my last name), pink glitter garland fills the middle apothecary jar, along with a crystal rosaryaraped over the lid and mossy rocks fill the largest jar.

Tiered sterling silver serving stand, fresh cut hydrangeas from my flower bed, picture of my family

The sofa table - cuteness!

I went on a day trip to Dallas with my mom recently and I returned with these treasures. I went to a place called "World Market". We don't have that store in Oklahoma and it's absolutely fantastic! There's ton of food from all over the world. I got some coarse sea salt, lemon curd and 2 bottles of wine.

I also made a short trip to Ikea and got some vases, and jars. A pair of wedge shoes from Bass, and a batter bowl and towels at Home Goods, another store we don't have in Oklahoma.

All in all, it was a great and productive day!


Spraking of productive, let's take a trip through my back yard.

See this beauty? Look closer.

Yup, right there. These are my FAVORITE flowers. I love love love hydrangeas. They're stunning. They change colors based on the ph of the soil. They're so light and fluffy.


These are my newest plants. Welcome to the back yard, ladies! (blue on the left, pink on the right) These ladies were COVERED in blooms when I bought them, so the minute I planted them they all bent over from the weight of the blooms. I had to do some quick pruning, and now my house is filled with hydrangeas in vases.


These other ladies are on the other side of my patio (pink on the left and blue on the right).

Hope you enjoyed the peek into my back yard oasis. It's got a long ways to go, but for me, it's paradise.

{Candlestick Re-Do}

I scored these sweet candlesticks at a neighborhood garage sale last weekend. They're glass and very heavy. I saw potential in these beauties. They just needed a little bit of work.


1. The culprits: it's not their fault they're so ugly. The brownish black with gold distressing was just NOT doing it for me.

2. I grabbed a can of my favorite silver spray paint and set to work using tape (just the blue painter's tape) to tape off the glass bulbs so they would stay clear. I applied 2 coats and waited 2 hours between each coat. This stuff dries FAST, as in 10-15 minutes later. However, I have a bad track record with spray paint so I waited the recommended 2 hours.

3. - 4. I removed the tape and voila! Pretty silver candlesticks which fit my decor perfectly! I currently have them displayed on my coffee table on a silver tray (Hobby Lobby) along with a Mercury glass urn and a candle pedestal from Ikea.

{spring around these parts}

Spring is finally here and boy am I glad! With spring comes the chore...err....pleasure of gardening and planting. It's been a bit challenging at times, but I love what's been done. Here's a quick peek at the B&A from my landscaping adventures this past week.

When I bought my house 10 months ago, the landscaping was less than stellar. The flower beds were filled with the red clay dirt that Oklahoma is famous for and my plants were not happy campers. Not to mention the lazy builders who decided to throw trash (ie, loose screws, nails, candy wrappers) into my flower beds and then dump dirt on top of it to cover their mess - slobs!



It's amazing what some new soil and plants will do. Not to mention my stone brick edging that my dad helped me lay down. I'm happier than a pig in mud, I tell ya! Who's ready for a garden party?

I found these candy colored flower pots at Wall's Bargain Center in Shawnee when I went to visit my BFF Jess and her sweetie pie, Chad. Aren't they darling? The red geraniums are going to have a happy summer living in those beauties.

I saw this sassy little thing at Lowes and knew she'd have to come home with me. Pink is my color. Don't you love the weiner dog foot scrape? Courtesy of my parents (thanks mom and dad!) They have a matching one on their back patio.

Well, there ya have it folks! It's been a lot of work, but I'm over the moon excited about it. It's simple, yet classic. Coming up next, the BACK yard....(insert dramatic music here) and let me tell you....it's just as good, if not better than the front.

Stay tuned.

{Welcome!}

Welcome to my blog. I hope you'll find plenty of inspiration for home doecrating projects, crafts, cooking and daily life. These are all of my favorite things and I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I do.