And then there were four...

...Four LEGS, that is!

 

Friends...meet our newst addition, Annie Oakley! ("Oakley" for short)

 

AKA: Beau's new sweet baby girl.
(Y'ALL-that boy is SMITTEN for her already!)

Deer toy = necessity

Needless to say...for the past 12 hours our hearts have been SO extremely overjoyed to welcome this precious, furbaby into our lives! She is the calmest, most docile little snuggle bug you EVER did meet! I literally just want to go home and squish her!!

 

Breakfast IN bed, anyone?! #girlaftermyownheart

Oakley (still not sure on the spelling? Oaklea? Oakli? Oaklee?) is a fullbred Rhodesian Ridgeback (African hunting dog). Her parents, Nehra and Ocho, are from Conroe, TX (Cavallo Creek is the name of our incredible breeder) but she was born on a vineyard in California. Can we say spoiled? She's 7 weeks old and weighs a little over 11 pounds. Momma weighs 110 and her daddy weighs almost 140 so we've got a big girl on our hands, to say the least. (Hey...go BIG or go home. That's what I always say, Jack!)

We weren't supposed to pick her up until tomorrow but let's just say I'm the most impatient person EVER I had some tricks up my sleeve and surprised Beau with her when he got home late last night. Random surprises are my absolute fave. :)  I mean, who wouldn't want to come home to this?



Anywho-I've already posted several pics on the ol' Insta & I'm sure I'll be snapping a gazillion real pics this weekend so be sure to check in on lil' Oakley from time to time!! Seems like she's already got a pretty big fan base! Who can resist those forehead wrinkles!? Really?! ;)

Have a WONDERFUL weekend, y'all! Mine will be spent snuggling with these two:

Love. Love. Love.

 

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. - Let's Get Organized

As promised, Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. is back in FULL force today so I hope you all brought you pinning panties. ;) I know I did!

Not gonna lie...there were a lot of projects I wanted to consider this week but being that it was one hectic past 6 days, I knew simplicity was on my side.

The best thing about Pinterest is that your projects can be as difficult or as easy as you want them to be. It can be some burlap ornament that requires 3+ hours to make a single one or it can be as easy as painting a teeny little heart on your nail for Valentine's Day. It can be a quick lil crockpot recipe or even an entire portion of your living room decorated solely from a single pin. Like I've always said, Jack, the easier...the cheaper...the better.

Today's post is nothing short of easy. There. I said it.

Beau thinks it shouldn't even be worthy of a post but hey, anything that's not expensive, looks cute and organizes all of HIS stuff...is totally worth it. ;)

Original pin:

Plate stand turned organizer

So. Off to the Hob Lob I went and $7 later, I walked out with this gem:

Hello, perfect little organizer thingamabob!

 Oh yes. Easy as pie, useful and the most fitting kitchen decor you can find.

Winning! (Or shall I say "Pinning!")

I love how everything kind of came together! The candle...the precious measuring spoons from this girl....the coasters...put me in a Homegoods for 5 minutes and I can only imagine what else I'd find to put on this thing!

Though this may be written off as the biggest non-project project to ever grace this link up, please note there are multiple old Pinterest projects in the above photo. That should count for something, right?! The "H" wreath in the back...found here. The entire bar/mirror/wreath combo...found here. And the cross coaster tutorial ...you can find that right here.

There you have it, friends. :) Saw it. Pinned it. Made it happen.

But wait! Before we go...the Howard household will have some VERY fun news next week! I promise I will not disappoint! :)

You know the drillio!

+Link up using the tool below

+Link back to mine & Katie's blogs so other people can know about the link up

+Include the button below by pasting it into your HTML

+Don't forget to post it on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest! Get yourself out there!

<center> <a href="http://www.snhblog.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/qlr8r.jpg">

So there's this girl...

As I sit here and write these words, my eyes well up with tears and I can't help but wish I were in complete control over how to US map were laid out. 

Many of you know the history behind mine & Katie's friendship over the past couple of years. Some of you don't.

For those of you who don't know anything about us, two years ago, we never even knew each other existed. Somehow, the stars aligned, we both created blogs (err-Kristen created my blog for me) and managed to stumble over one another and hit it off like we had known each other our entire lives. The first email we exchanged, I would have never thought would have led me to the friendship, the sisterhood, I share with this girl.

The only problem: I live in Texas. She lives in Ohio. (Now my reference to the map should start to make sense...)

Fortunately, our husbands don't think we're complete lunatics anymore and we've now had the privilege of vacationing to Naples, FL together, I've been to her house in Ohio and now, she's been to mine. (She was here for the last 6 days in case you live under a rock.) ;) 

I'd be lying if I said I didn't thank GOD everyday for allowing Katie and I to constantly stay in touch with one another via Twitter, Instagram, emailing, blogging, calling, texting and FaceTiming (sometimes all at the same time!) because without any of those forms of communication, I really do feel like a part of me would be missing. Actually, I thank God for blessing me with all of my incredible friendships I've made via blogging.

Katie | Me | Shay

Spending time with Katie and her husband, Billy, is no longer just a "blogger meetup". It's visiting a best friend. It's spending every moment with one another, waking up in the weeeeee hours of the morning and soaking it all up until the weeeeee hours of the night to make sure we don't miss a beat. It's just so natural. We are so different yet have SO much in common. Yes-we're best friends that met on the internet and yes, it seems kind of weird (I know) but as I feel about many other things that have happened in my life, I know that God was in complete control of this one. We just get each other...

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't in 100% detox/recovery mode at this point. Exhausted doesn't even begin to explain it...I'm running on fumes so while I promise to have a full recap of her entire trip to the Lonestar State, the shenanigans that went down and even a few priceless one-liners that were said, I wanted to give you a quick glance at our weekend together:

(Yes-photo #2 is with Kristen @ All In My Twenties & Shay from So Shay! ;) We had so. much. fun. together!)

Tomorrow Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. will be back in FULL FORCE so make sure you get your projects ready and link up with us, K?!

Beauty on a Bargain

Maybe I've become really cheap in my old days. Perhaps it's just my inner bargainista. Or possibly it's the simple fact that I'd rather spend my money on furniture and house decor than I do clothes and makeup. Maybe I'm alone when I say I'm OVER spending an arm and a leg on hair and make up products but something deep down tells me there's millions of other women who feel the exact same way.

Whatever it may be, I have come across some incredible beauty buys that I couldn't help but share with the world. Ahem: the blogging world, that is.

1. Suave Keratin Shampoo & Conditioner: holy amazingness. I was a Paul Mitchell girl for years...YEARS...until I had to stop using it because all of their products have panthenol in them. (Panthenol = no bueno for the pores.) My mom told me about this stuff and I thought to myself "Suave? Pssssh..." Never in a million years did I think I'd ever purchase a bottle. Now...I can't buy enough of it! It's panthenol-free and works wonders! My hair is thicker, shinier and has been growing like no tomorrow. Even my hair girl made a comment about it! Which brings me to my next two products...

2. Suave Dry Shampoo: For all you greasy-headed kids out there, run to your nearest Target and purchase a case of this bottled gold. I've had greasy hair my WHOLE life (all 26 years, ya know) and this is by far the BEST dry shampoo I've yet to find. Best part-it's only $3. Yes.

3. Suave Leave-In Conditioner: Same as the shampoo and conditioner, this stuff does NOT disappoint. I want to say the bottle is like $3, lasts forever and works like a charm. Again, this one is panthenol-free, too, and works the same, if not better, than my old flame, Paul Mitchell Super Strong Leave-In. (Yes-I miss that stuff. No-I do not miss the price tag.)

 

4. Baby Lips: All my fellow lip balm addictees, you'll be pissed you didn't know about this sooner. Just take my advice on this one, mmmkay?

 

5. Elf Cream Eyeliner: I've talked about this before and I'll talk about it again. La-la-la-la-LOVE this stuff. Again, I want to say it's like $3 and the tub lasts for-ev-er. It goes on okay with the tiny brush that comes with it but it goes on amazing when you use Elf's angled eyeliner brush!

6.  Revlon Colorstay Foundation: I cannot POSSIBLY say enough good things about this foundation. Along with an oily head, I was also blessed with uber-oily skin. I've used Dior Airbrush Foundation, Makeup Forever Foundation, MAC, Elf, etc...and it never failed...my face looked like a slip-n-slide by 10am. The Colorstay is, hands down, my absolute FAVORITE foundation to ever grace my skin. My face is rarely shiny, if at all, and it stays on all. day. long. Plus-it's panthenol-free, too!(Muy importante for my acne-prone girls out there!)

7. Elf Lipgloss: I was skeptical about this stuff the first time I tried it but lo and behold, it completely won me over the 5th time I tried it. My favorite color is "Fairy" and the best part, it only costs 1 dollhair.

8. Revlon Colorstay Powder: Repeat #6. Amazing stuff, I tell ya, and goes on GREAT with the Colorstay foundation.

 

9. Elf Stipple Brush: lets just say I'm a little bitter about that fact that I spent my hard-earned $50 on the stupid MAC stipple brush when this one was a whopping $6 AND works better. 

 

10. Maybelline Love Lash: Ahhh the infamous pink and green tube. I have tried this mascara SO many times only to be disappointed every single time, that was, until I got the RIGHT pink and green tube. From Diorshow to Lacomes Definicil, Lash Love trumps those, in my book. Girls...you MUST run to your nearest Tarjay and buy this stuff STAT. It's separates your lashes perfectly, does NOT clump or flake and gives your lashes the length they deserve. 

I'm the last person to look to for beauty advice and I'm definitely no PinkLouLou when I comes to this stuff, I know, but these are a few recent finds I know I'll be using (& loving) for a long, long time! And the best part, you can find them all at good ol' Target for less than $10 each. :) You're so welcome! 

+++

In other, and fabulously incredible news...I pick up Katie & Billy from the airport TONIGHT!!!!! Holy balls batman! The Krysh's are finally coming to Texas!!!! Tomorrow and Saturday night the ultimate blogger bash is going down...Katie, Kristen, Shalyn and yours truly will be within the same 4 walls. Oh ya. I promise to post updates on the ol' Insta and who knows, maybe a vlog (or 2?) will ensue...(no promises there). We shall see. Stay tuned, my good friends.

+++

Last but DEFINITELY not least, my sweet sissy-in-law (expecting triplets) was put on permanent bed rest as of today. She's 21 weeks and has a LONG way to go. If you find it in your heart, please go show her some love on her blog today. I'm sure she could use the thoughts, prayers and any type of entertainment you can provide her with! Y'all are the best! Thanks. :)

Errbody's Got Time Fo Dis

Show me a recipe that includes a crockpot and the word "chili" and you'll win my heart over every time. 

Show me a recipe that includes a crockpot, the word "chili" AND the word "taco"...and you've just met a best friend for life.

Though I don't necessarily deem this recipe as "healthy", it's definitely not unhealthy in my book because if it were, it wouldn't be the newest staple in the Howard household.

Sure. Fresh beans would be better for us. Non-GMO corn is always the best option. And I should probably stop being lazy and start making my own non-MSG-containing taco seasoning but let's be honest...

Word, Sweet Brown.

Word.

Oh, my beloved crockpot. How I once thought you were something of ancient times, you've now become my right hand man. (Or woman?) Because of you, I now know the true meaning behind "Fix it and forget it" and also have an excuse for not spending countless hours in the kitchen every single night of the week.

Ok. Ok. I'll get on with the goods already and I'll just let my mad food photography skills do all the talking. (That was sarcasm, kids.)

Toss all ingredients into your crockpot. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours, top with some shredded cheese (almond cheese, for all my dairy-free peeps) and BAM!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili...errbody's got time fo dis...

Weekend Snapshot (+ Talking Eyebrows)

one. admiring my guy before a night out at the Houston rodeo. That hat...yummmm...
two. view from my Friday afternoon 3-hour nap sesh. Oh yes. It happened.
three. Saturday morning happy feet!
four. prepping for our house guests this weekend!
five. Essie - "Mod Square"...still madly in love with this color!
six. Brantley Gilbert with my girl Casey!
seven. enjoying one too many glasses of champagne in the Houston rodeo wine garden!
eight. love of my whole life. :)
nine. more progress on the home decor!

Who's ready for tonight's episode of the bachelor, "Women + Tierra's Eyebrow Tell All"??!! Don't lie...you know it's the only reason you look forward to Mondays!





I have LOTS going on this week with several VIG (Very Important Guests) coming to stay with us...not to mention a FIVE day weekend ahead of me.

That being said...

Linking up with:

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. - But it doesn't really have a name...

First things first...I'm gonna go ahead and say that in exactly ONE week from today...my partner-in-crime, link-up co-host, sister from another mister will be here. In my hometown. Staying in my house. Going to her very FIRST rodeo. In case you forgot, she looks a little something like this:

She hit every branch, twig & leaf on the pretty tree, did she not?

What does this mean to you?

A few things:

1. Make sure you follow us on the Insta so you can be completely annoyed with our 6,347 posts within a 5 day period.

2. Please note: next week's SPD link up will be MIA. That's right...we're taking a weeklong break so enjoy your time off and be ready to BRING IT March 14th. Deal?

3. I said a "few things" but it's really only a "couple things" but since I'm here, I might as well write something so this is me writing something.

Moving on...

I hope you kids put on your Pinterest panties today because today's project is (and I know I say this every week) my absolute, hands-down, without a doubt, favorite one I've done to date. Yes. I went there.

I'd be lying if I said I haven't had my eye on this project for quite some time now but let's just say I had to get a few things in place before I could actually make it happen...like buy a house so I would have actually have a space large enough to put it!

After purchasing "said" house...I'd need to actually get the courage to poke holes in my virgin walls so on our lil' house on the prairie's 2 month anniversary, she got nailed. Ahem...as in...we put nails in the wall to hang what you're about to see...(filthy minds...)

Here we go!

What do you get when you take this incredible original pin:

(Gah! Can't you just smelllll the rusticness coming through the computer screen?! I thought so too!)

Plus an old Pinterest project?

And put the two together?!

VOILA!

Granted, mine has a little more clean, not-so-cluttered look to it, and is still a work in progress (needs more color) and perhaps I'm 10 years late to the party but I would have never in a gazillion years thought to hang a wreath over a mirror. Would you?! 

The moment we hung this sucker, it instantly changed the room.
Total room changer right here, people. Total room changer.

Iono about you but I foresee MANY-a-holiday wreaths being made and switched out as the year goes on!

Saw it.

Pinned it.

Freaking did it.

Your turn!

Ze fine print:

+Link up using the tool below

+Link back to mine & Katie's blogs so other people can know about the link up

+Include the button below by pasting it into your HTML

+Don't forget to post it on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest! Get yourself out there!

<center> <a href="http://www.snhblog.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/qlr8r.jpg">

Behind The Scenes

So the other day I open up my phone to snap a photo of the sunset (what else?) only to find none other than the screen of death. You know the one I'm talking about...

It reads something along the lines of "You take one too many photos and are forbidden to take another one until you delete one of the 9,000+ photos you're currently storing on a device the size of your hand."

Guilty as charged.

Yes. Screen of death.

So naturally I start going through the old iPhone searching for pics to delete...one, by one, by one, by one...only to find that I have multiples of the exact same pictures over, and over, and over again and I stop to think...there can only be one culprit.

INSTAGRAM.

I mean, do I smile? Do I not? Zoom in? Zoom out? What about this angle? Or that filter? Does it need to be lightened? Should I airbrush my face? What about my hair? How's my hair? 

(Maybe you should be the judge? Shameless plug: follow me at @MrsStephHoward)

Today you're in for a REAL treat because I'm taking you on a behind the scenes tour of what goes into a single Instagram post. Oh yea...I'm going there. Granted-I am far from having the best Instagram pics ever but lets just say posting just ONE image is far from simple.

I mean, 6 different photos of me wearing a plain white top & jeans. SIX? And then the filter I pick for the final post makes me look as pale as Taylor Swift. At least my hair looks lighter...

FOUR photos of my Jesus Juice because who the heck doesn't need four pictures of the green stuff? (And yes, I really named it "Jesus Juice".)

SIX shots of Beau & I at our Valentine's dinner...Arm down? Hand on hip? Gentle kiss on the cheek? Aw hell. They're all too dark. Start over. Two more shots andddd done. Lighten her up and she's good to go! 

And per usual...I saved the best for last.

NINE different pics of me and my camera. NINE, people. And now that I think about it, what a dumb picture to post anyways!

Annnd finally...the good ol' front seat selfie. Smile? No smile? Head back? Head forward? Blow a kiss? Aw screw it. Pick another pasty filter to make myself look comparable to Casper. Aaand share! 

Perhaps I'm a lunatic. Perhaps I'm just like every other Instagrammer out there (please agree with the latter) but either way, I've got a real problem on my hands folks. There's no telling what else I could be doing with my time when I'm not snapping and editing a gazillion iPhone photos...

(For the prettiest...and I mean prettiest Instagram pics you ever did see, you may or may not want to follow Riahnnon @heygorgevents. Perfect, I tell ya! I don't even know her but she's my Instagram idol. Yes. I just said that.).

And today's bonus: my favorite photo editing apps!

AfterGlow: Best .99 cents I ever spent, thanks to Shay. I use this one to lighten my images (psst: it's the brightness affect) but it does SO much more!

Aviary: I mainly use this one for the blemish affect. Yes-my skin is far from perfect and thanks to Aviary, I can just airbrush myself to flawless skin. A girl can dream, right?!

Gorilla Cam: Download this NOW for the simple fact that it has a self-timer! Yes...a self-timer so when you want a picture of you and there's no one around to take it, you can. Problem...solved!

Pic Frame: Easy app that allows you to make collages with all your iPhone photos. All the images you see above were made through this app. :)

And there we have it! You can thank me by leaving a comment with YOUR favorite photo editing app mmmkay?!

Mondays, Aunt Flow & Jesus Juice

Oh. Hey...

You again...

No. No. NO! Not you!

...Monday. She's here...again. 

Kind of like Aunt Flow. Always on a routine. Always inevitable. Still hated more and more as the weeks go by.

Anywho-lets not talk about either of those subjects anymore. We all know they're both the root cause of bad moods, weird cravings and my husband wanting to jump off a 10-story building every 3 weeks.

Poor guy. At least he looks good doing so. Aaaand we're moving on now.

A quick glance at my weekend. Might I add it was 70+ degrees all. weekend. long. and I was IN. HEAVEN. Be jealous, snow birds. BE jealous.

one. Teensy black & gold bow ring because one can never have enough bows (or Beaus) in her life! ;)
two. Company awards party with my darn good lookin' husby.
three. Same party with my girl, Casey!
four. Saturday selfie in coral & blue. Did I mention I was LOVING the 70+ degree spring weather this weekend?
five. Aaaand again.
six. Matching martini. Matching top. Totally planned that. ;)
seven. Showering my sissy-in-law and the girls!! 20 weeks with triplets...doesn't she look amazing?!
eight. Sunday morning bed heads.
nine. Primed & painted our first coat of garage floor paint. Looks SO good already!

And NOW for the good stuff...a NEW and amazingly delicious and obviously healthy juicing recipe I've so conveniently named "Jesus Juice" for the sole purpose of it being created on a Sunday...

2 handfuls brussels sprouts | 2 BIG handfuls spinach | 2 handfuls lettuce (iceberg or romaine) | 2 apples

Whirl around in your juicer and en-freaking-JOY! Makes a FULL 12 oz glass and is, hands down, the BEST combination I've ever put together!

*Juicing sidenote: I read that apple seeds contain cyanide so if you're juicing apples, make sure you cut out the seeds!

And there we have it friends. I'm linking up with Sami today for Weekend Shenanigans (& you should totally do it too!) Here's to hoping your Monday goes off without a hitch! Ta ta!

Ma! The meatloaf!

*10 points for the first person who guesses the movie quote from above! ;)

Kidding. (Focus, Stephanie.)

1 new (should I mention very healthy?) recipe

+A few simple ingredients

+4 simple steps

= a solid 10 from your husband (and yourself) and a new weeknight favorite

original pin

My version & my obvious need to work on my food photography skills...

I introduce you to Paleo Meatloaf Balls. Total game-changer in your meal planning people. Total. Game. Changer. 

Here's what you'll need:

     *yields about 25-30 balls

• 1 lb ground beef (I used venison)
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 fist-sized sweet potato, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• coconut oil

ONE. Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
TWO. Mix well using a hand mixer.
THREE. Roll into golf ball-sized meatballs.
FOUR. Coat bottom of baking dish with coconut oil & bake for 15-20 minutes on 375.

And that's about as easy as they come, y'all. Serve with two fresh veggies (I opted for steamed broccoli & brussel spouts) and ennnnnjoy! We prefer to dip ours in ketchup but to each his own. :)

Added bonus: you should have PLENTY left for lunch and/or dinner the following day(s) and any recipe that makes enough for leftovers is a total win in this girl's book!

Shameless plug: feel free to pin this to make for later. I promise you will not be disappointed! (Oh, and if you're not following me on the ol' Pinterest, get at me, k? @mrsstephhoward)

***

For next week's project, I'm taking a poll! In your comment, let me know what types of projects do you prefer to see on here. DIY home decor? Recipes? Outfit post? Beauty tip (hair, nails, makeup, etc)? YOU TELL ME! Whichever topic wins is what I'll do for my project next Thursday. Deal? Deal!

***

Don't forget to link up with us by linking back to Katie and I's blogs, include the button below and link up with your most recent Pinterest project!

<center> <a href="http://www.snhblog.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/qlr8r.jpg">