making me happy this morning...

from the wonderful rachel

signs of spring in my house, even though the forcast for the week contains all lows in the 20's. pssshhhhhh. i am so ready for tank tops and dirty knees from being outside all day. i want dresses and sandals. speaking of sandals. i need y'alls help. here are the gorgeous swedish hasbeens that sam surprised me with (pair 2, the first pair were mustard and too small) in cognac. the problem is that i loved the mustard and these are a touch big. i really need the 9.5, which doesn't exist. i love them, though! should i keep them?



ps just painted toes are always a tad messy. what can i say?

and how great are these?



vintage school trays from kate and andy

but what's really, really making me happy this morning? our little matilda walked all the way across the living room today. that's right! of course we didn't catch it on video. we're not that smooth. while she was walking she said "yay!". i mean, come on. she is the cutest!

hope you all have a restful, reflective sunday.

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reversible hankerchiefs...

please ignore the large crease and breakfast on matilda's face. i'm working on time restraints people.

these tiny hankerchief wonders will be in the shop soon with four possibilities. head two ways, neck two ways. perfect as a bib too! throw them in the wash and no velcro! hope you all have a fantastic weekend! any fun plans you care to share? i'll be here, so excited about this!

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i was just thinking

this morning i was watching gma, like i always do (what can i say they're like family), and my heart started beating fast when i saw that the pioneer woman was a guest! in just three years she has built an empire. a tiny little blog turned in to a beautiful website which launched a cookbook and now she's famous. so famous that kate and i skipped her book signing because of the hours long wait. it's just amazing. all from her beautiful ranch in the middle of nowhere. the magic of technology.



it just got me thinking about how wonderful it is to be inspired and connected to so many wonderful people across the blogosphere. i just want to thank you all for reaching out to this little blog and saying hello! i don't always have time to respond, but i'm working on it.

here are some current women of inspiration in my life...



{danni of oh, hello friend}



{jodi of passport in my pocket}



{leigh-ann from the freckled nest}



{rachel of handmade charlotte}



{christina from down and out chic}

there are so many more! these are just a few on the top of my head this morning.

who inspires you?



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miller union and craft fairs

yesterday i was treated to a delicious birthday dinner at miller union. it was a date night. i love those! we had heard rave reviews about miller union and rachel got me a gift certificate (she's a great sister). we pulled up to the brady ave address and i was instantly surprised at how sheeshee it was. valet parking, an asten martin parked right in front, but as soon as we stepped inside i felt like i was in a modern farm house. oversized pendants hang over farm tables and tiny booths fill the center of the restaurant. everything is candlelit and cozy. the menu is simple and to the point utilizing seasonal and local ingredients.









this lighting makes me and sam look like we could use a few more zzzzzzs.



rubarb sweet custard

highlights: whipped rudabegas, fried grits, carrot ginger soup, the trout. i even LOVED the brussell sprouts! another highlight: mr. kevin gillespie was also enjoying a meal while we were there!

a huge thank you to the wonderful lindsey and brittany for a delicious lunch and wonderful company today!!!





i was able to finish up my goods for the thread and canvas event on sat. here's what you can look out for:



ring and roll balls



zipper pouches



reversible hanker chief bibs

and oh yea...sam was listening. i love him and not just because he buys me perfect shoes.



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it's my birthday today

my birthday always makes me feel a bit like this


however, this weekend was deliciously sweet. the weather was perfection, the company and food were too!



what mustaches are made of. this is by far one of the best desserts i've ever had. thanks for the recommendation leigh!



matilda did a lot of assisted walking.



we cleaned up our beds and planted some cold weather vegetables.



mouth watering. my mama is the master of birthdays.



perfect margaritas and folded hearts courtesy of rachel.





{birthday menu}

pork tenderloin
asparagus
jalapeno cheddar corn bread
leek mashed potatoes
allen's green beans


see the rest of the pictures here

thank you beyond measure for the all of the thoughtful cards, sweet messages, gifts, and all of the love. a very special thank you to my husband and family for making it such a special day. i love you all!

ps i'm dedicated to fitness. today i was super bougie and bought these and this and this and this.

pps i hit my wonderful neighbor's car first thing this morning en route to a french breakfast with the girls. poopppp.

namaste.

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happy friday

as i roll in to my long weekend i am so happy and thankful. i'm looking forward to forcasted beautiful weather


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indulging in my very favorite birthday cake



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having a celebratory dinner with my family (although jake will be missed!)



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trying to do some yoga to combat eating said cake (currently obsessed with lululemon thanks to osayi)



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i'm just dying to know if you all have recommendations on non-cheesy yoga dvds?

and just soaking up the sun with sam and til.





make sure you check out the beautiful, shiny new southern flourish website! it's live. i'm so proud to be a part of it!



and hooray i made it to the top ten handmade blogs on the lovelies! thanks a millions for all your votes...there's still time to vote, i could really use them and if you've already voted you can tweet also. i can't thank you enough for all of the kind words and your amazing support!

have a beautiful weekend!!!


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hello dahhhhhhling!

we are so fancy! we sit around in hats and have tea. well, i have tea. matilda has miiiiillllll.



last night sam and i ate delicious jumbalaya,which was made much more delicious with the help of caramalized onions and peppers. what isn't? we ate this cajun food in honor of the gras. sam grew up in mississippi and really misses the holiday, which sadly i was never really exposed to. have you ever been to mardi gras?



although i would love to melt in to the couch with a glass of wine, i'm gonna keep on being productive. i really want to push myself, but it's hard. i want to be an amazing mother and wife and to be a great friend, all while working and keeping up a shop on the side. i end up feeling like i'm dropping every ball. i really want to get in the habit of exercising. i feel like i would have so much more energy...it's just the LAST thing i want to do when i have a spare second.

how do you guys manage your hectic lives???

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fat tuesday

i'm on the machine big time today and if you've ordered a dress from me in the last couple of weeks they're headed your way today!



bye bye!

i am going to be participating in the first artist event by thread and canvas, which will be held next saturday. look for lots of these and some of these!



hope you all have a happy mardi gras! now on to thinking about ash wednesday and what i'll be giving up for lent...

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v-day

sam and i had a rare weekend of no plans. the snow kept us mostly in, but we ventured out on saturday.





we had lunch at the porter. we always end up trying to do the most non family-friendly fare, but i loved my burger and the atmosphere was very warm and pub-like and we sat on a slanted booth and drank out of huge ball jars.





on valentine's day, with the assistance of our wonderful friends/neighbors, i was able to surprise sam (read: he was blindfolded!) with a staplehouse dinner! it was just the coolest experience. we are so proud of jen and ryan. check out their most recent press here and here!













i am so in love with my valentine!



see the rest of the mouthwatering pictures here.

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