Photo An Hour {Link Up}

Not gonna lie...I've been so excited about today's link up since we posted it, well, last week! Since you already saw a day the life of me working, I thought it'd be slightly more entertaining to give you a full day of my life on a Sunday. I know you've all just been sitting on pins and needles wanting to know what I do with my time on the weekends. (Sarcasm folks. Get on m y level.)

Lemme tell ya...my Sunday's are nothing fancy...or really entertaining for all that matter. But, it is what it is and I enjoyed my day so there's that. :) 

7:30a: wakey wakey! Beau absolutely despises the fact that I can't sleep in past 8...poor guy.
8:30a: morning walk with the hubs & the pup
9:30a: busting out Oakley's birthday cake or what some would call it, teasing her
10:30a: realizing how badly I need a hair cut. Like real bad.
11:30a: shopping, shopping and more shopping! (Also see: I got there before the stores even opened...)
12:30p: new spring maxi skirts from Target. #obsessed #iwant4more
1:30p: cake time! Don't worry-she's been working on it all week. What kind of mother do you think I am?!
2:30p: finally found (just about) all the pieces to our guest bedroom bedding collection!
3:30pm: totally necessary nap time
4:30pm: "ma. wake the hell up"
5:30pm: "vacuuming"...aka supervising the Roomba as it tried to escape out the back door.
6:30pm: finally busted out the new sunnies!
7:30pm: headed out to our first rodeo event of the year! How is it rodeo season already?!
8:30pm: hanging out with the most precious auction item you ever. did. see.
9:30pm: closed out the night with an awesome concert by the Spazmatics

See there? Just little Sunday Funday...all in picture form. Now wasn't that fun?!

A big shout out to my lovely co-host Meg O. for making this little link up possible! I'm a little linky tool challenged so I'm thankful she took over that part for me! ;)

Link up with us below!! I can't wait to see what y'all came up with!!

XOXO

Though I'm in marketing, I admit I truly am a marketer's dream. Valentine's Day is, by far, my favorite holiday. Sure Christmas and Thanksgiving are great, (who doesn't love an abundance of food and gifts and time with family?) but I've always loved V-day for so many reasons. Aisles upon aisles of pink and red and hearts and kisses...love in the air...romantic notes to your husband...an excuse to get all dressed up and treat yourself to a nice dinner...fresh flowers...sweet cards...a little wine (read: a lot of wine)...seriously...I love me some love.

You know why I also adore Valentine's Day? Because it's an understated holiday. No crazy fancy presents involved...no ridiculous dinners hosted at your house...just a day devoted to nothing but showering your significant other with hugs and kisses and sweet words and maybe even some chocolate.

Sure-I know good and well this is considered a "Hallmark holiday" but I'm a sucker for it every. single. year. Sue me.

Anyone who doesn't love Valentine's Day is a grinch in my book. ;)

Back to where I was going with this post...how about a little Valentine's decor DIY?! Per usual, this one is super simple. So simple, I'm not even going to provide you with instructions. Just decorate your lips in your favorite lipsticks, kiss a piece of paper (yes...I give you permission to make out with cardstock. Kidding. Don't make out with it. Things might get messy.), frame it and VOILA!

The best kind of projects, in my book, are the kind that don't require countless trips to the craft store to create something so simple. And it's for that very reason that this one stoled my heart. (Yes, I said "stoled".) I hope it does the same for you. :) 

P.S. - DON'T FORGET! Tomorrow is our "Photo An Hour" link up!!! Snap a picture every hour today and come back tomorrow to link up with us! (Read more here.)

You Only Turn One Once

This weekend, we rang in my sweet Oakley Girl's 1st birthday! Her FIRST birthday. Wait. WHAT?! That's right...she's ONE. ...Going on 14...

While I never thought a dog's 1 year old birthday was a big deal, actually raising our very own from an 11 pound ball of wrinkles to the 80 pound sassafrass she is made me realize her first birthday IS a big deal. 

When we brought our sweet girl home last year, I remember thinking to myself "Who in their right mind would trust us amateurs with this living, breathing little life to raise and care for?!" but it was not too long after that I realized how much I loved raising and caring for this living, breathing little life. I adored coming home to her tiny wagging tail and her little yappy bark. I loved being the one she depended on 100% of the time. I so looked forward to my lunch breaks where I would race home to see that precious little ball laying in her kennel looking up at me with those honey brown eyes that so obviously said "Mom! You're home!" knowing she secretly stashed a streak of demon behind those puppy eyes.

Though the first year of Oakley's life was probably the most frustrating of mine and Beau's lives (no...really...), I thank GOD for the challenges and for putting this sweet face into our home. Whoever said raising a puppy (read: a LARGE breed puppy) is easy is full of CRAP. LOTS of it.

From her dragging me down the street hanging onto her leash for dear life, to many, many cuts and bruises thanks to puppy teeth, to many phone calls to my mom telling her to "come get this dog", to hundreds, if not thousands, of tears shed and me threatening to put her on the street corner with a sign that says "FREE", looking back I wouldn't have had it any other way. Waking up with her head on my chest every morning (yes, she sleeps with us), having her lay across my stomach as I type this very post and her sweet "kisses" she so vulnerably saves just for me every morning and night...I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

Yes-I realize she's a dog, not a child and obviously (not from experience) I know there's a vast difference but the fact that she survived her first year as Beau and I as her "parents" is worth a celebration, if you ask me. So celebrate she did. With a 4 pound peanut butter cake. You know...because you only turn one once...

She got to the #1 before I had time to take this picture...obviously...

Sure-she may not be a real child, but she's our child and that's exactly how we treat her. Spoiled-freaking-rotten is a better way to put it. I mean, you try and resist that face and those wrinkles...

Happy HAPPY 1st birthday our sweet Oakie Bear!! I promise to buy you peanut butter cakes every year. :)

A Photo An Hour

Last week, I finally got the chance to actually read a few blog posts and absolutely LOVED Meg O's post, "A Photo An Hour". Basically, you take one photo every hour of the day to document that day. It doesn't have to be a special day, or anything fancy...just any regular ol' day. Just take pics & post them! I mean, I shamelessly do that anyway...I might as well actually do something with all the pictures I've been taking.

Logically, I copied her idea and thankfully, she gave me permission so I thought, what better day to do it than last Friday, Beau's birthday. 

Here we go!

{rise & shine, it's coffee time}
mug via Crystal Faye Designs

{mornin' oakie bear! "Mah! It's too early for pittures!"} 

{work it. twerk it.} 

{more work. change of scenery.} 

{perfected this pumpkin spice pancake recipe for my work blog. hey, someone's gotta do it...} 

{secretly wished I could have been curled up right next to her at this time.} 

{my lovely assistant helping me send out a few emails and wrap up my work day.} 

{ding dong. confessions of an online shopper...}

{wrapped my birthday boy's prezzies...the lazy way.} 

{hit up the grocery store to pick up a bunch of snacks for Beau's party.} 

{picked up a very necessary birthday prop.} 

{enjoyed watching beau open his gifts. aka: picked up scattered tissue paper thanks to Oakley.} 

{#OOTN} 

{headed to a very special birthday dinner @ Ray's Gourmet Country} 

{wine time!}

See?! Now wasn't that fun?! Seeing that I already forgot 50% of what I did last Friday, I really enjoyed doing this!

Perhaps I'm the nosiest person alive but I LOVE LOVE LOVE knowing what people do on an everyday basis. And more than that, an hourly basis. Weird? Maybe. But I know there are others out there just like me wanting to know the same thing SO! we're turning this thing into a link up party! Whatdya say?!

That's right! Next Thursday, January 30, Meg O. and I will be hosting a one-time "A Photo An Hour" link up party for any and everyone who would like to participate with us! I want to live in a day in the life of YOU!

What this means for you? Sometime before next Thursday, you'll need to set alarms for every hour of the day on your phone. (12 hours should be sufficient.) Snap one pic every hour and then on next Thursday, post all of your pictures and head back here to link up with us! Easy enough, huh?!

Now...I only have one rule...I don't want to be the girl who throws a party and only one person comes so this is where you leave me a comment and tell me you're going to link up with us. K? K!

All Hail The Stag Head

Originally, that wasn't supposed to be the title of this post as I was trying to focus on our entire bedroom as a whole since I'd like to think I'm about 90% done decorating it but I mean, the stag head really steals the show here.

I had been eyeing this fabulous iron stag head for months...maybe even a year now, and finally, Beau made all my stag head dreams come true when he mounted it above our bed this past weekend. While some girls prefer pretty paintings or mirrors, or even framed photos above their beds, this girl, not so much. Give me a dead animal and I'm happier than a bird with a french fry. Especially a dead animal that comes in the form of iron, and can be bought at a store, and didn't require me to fork up a few thousand dollars to go send my husband to shoot one for me.

It's safe to say my bed and side tables are complete. I mean, 19 (yes...that's a 1-9.) pillows in enough. 3 euro pillows, 6 king size pillows, 2 standard pillows, 2 kind size decorative pillows and 6 throw pillows should suffice. Right? And don't even blame me for all this. Beau is a pillow HOARDER. He literally goes and steals every pillow off of every other bed in our house and uses it on our bed until we have guests over. I blame him.

 Jute Braid Pillow | Tan button throw pillow

Ignore the shotgun case peeking out from underneath our bed...

I said I was about 90% done decorating our bedroom because the other 10% is missing in this photo. I'm still searching for the perfect addition to go above our dresser. A large mirror? Another animal head? A gallery wall? Heck. I'll figure it out one of these days. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy this big blank wall that's been there for over a year now.

Stag Head | Bed | Bedside Tables | Dresser | Tufted Bench | 

Bedding Collection is Ralph Lauren Villa Martine (only sold on eBay now) | Lamps (similar)

I've been extremely patient when it comes to decorating our house. Yes-we've been in it for over a year now but I decided when we first moved in that I was going to think long and hard about every hole I put into my walls, every piece of furniture that we'd be purchasing and every decorative item I've had my eyeball on. Being the most impatient person to grace this planet, I've really surprised myself with this but I decided early on that I wanted to decorate our house the right way, not the quick way.

And I'm glad I waiting patiently for my precious stag to arrive. ;) He completes me.

It's still a major work in progress but what do you think?!