elle + ollie handmades

it's been nearly a week since i blogged last. its been a crazy and busy week. i've been trying to parent and keep up with a very sweet, yet very active and spirited (he he!) toddler.

i tweeted yesterday something along the lines of "lord, grant me patience" in regards to my sweet e-bean and was prompted by a friend to reword my prayer so took me .5 seconds to think of my new prayer "lord, never let me take these days for granted". i will be tested every day but i want to live in the moment...

anywho...

i
finally
got my
etsy shop
up and running.







it only has 2 products right now. kinda small potatoes. its all that elle would let me complete in the last few days. seriously, isn't that sad? that's why i'm not doing any custom orders {unless of course someone i love dearly contacts me and asks me to, than i won't be able to say no} because i never know how any given day is going to play out. i just want to sew and create and sell as i go!

the dress is a size newborn, i also have a 6 month and a 12 month going in the shop that i will have posted by sunday (maybe later tonight if i have insomnia) and i have several other items that i want to have in the shop by next friday (the 2nd)! keeping my fingers crossed that my shop does good and i can earn a little extra income for my family!

so, please go check out my new etsy shop, elle + ollie handmades. spread the word!

love where you live {an organized home}

the week before last i decided i had enough with all the clutter and disorganization in our home. it was time to do something about it. so i went crazy. for two days straight, elle and i did not leave the house and i cleaned and organized. by the time i remembered to document my cleaning and purging i had already cleaned out the closets and started putting stuff back and making piles of donation stuff and attic-bound stuff.



basically our coat closet, now office/sewing room closet and pantry DESPERATELY needed to be organized. they had been a catch-all for all kinds of unique things. also, the top of our cabinets in the kitchen got a makeover as well but i forgot to take pictures of that. what before had about 12 mason jars, 5 glass pitchers, 3 cake stands, 2 trifle bowls, and a large glass drink dispenser now house 1 glass cake stand with its matching dome, a 3-tiered plate stand, and 2 pitchers. i put everything else (that we actually use(d)) in the pantry and gave away everything that was in the pantry away (or threw it in the trash) because we NEVER used any of it.



our now office/sewing room closet housed all of our good china, my grandmother's china, a few super-fancy serving pieces, and a lot of junk. i put all my china, grandmother's china and the serving pieces in the attic (actually aaron did) and filled a lawn-size trash bag full of trash and actually put it in the trash. never to see it again. phew. the room has to feel 100 pounds lighter.







we ended up taking several pillows, an old duvet, old sheets (they were tropical print that we got as a wedding gift 4 1/2 years ago that have never once been used), some random home decor that i hated, some big glass vases, a couple pair of converse shoes that aaron got as a christmas gift a couple of years ago that he never wore (never ever, someone scored big time there) and some other random junk, that i have not missed one single bit.

our house feels so less cluttered after my cleaning binge and purge. my cousin even commented how cleaned out my house looked/felt today when she stopped by and she didn't even see the closets. the house feels happy and is giving off good vibes.

i still have a lot of organizing left to do in the office/sewing room. i want aaron to make a wrapping station for me. i found one a while back on a blog that was just perfect. it hangs flush on the wall as not to take up any floor space. it's exactly what i need. i showed it to aaron and he thought it would be no problem to make. also, i need some sort of organization for all my fabric and ribbon and blank goods that are waiting to be embellished. i have pinned several ideas but i'm just kind of waiting it out to see what i feel like i really need in this space. i need to hang the memo board and pegboard and i think once i do that i'll be super happy with the space.

aaron's been working on the kitchen cabinets, 2 weekends in a row. it takes forever when working with oil-based paint. if you can avoid it, do at all costs. no fun. i can't wait to share with you our kitchen makeover once its done. its going to look great. i'm so excited about it!

mid-week nonsense

get ready for complete randomosity...



i started a new book monday night. my aunt ordered it for me and so far so good. praying through the book that it will give me a new perspective on being a working mom and what's really important when it comes to finances and commitments. at the end of each chapter it gives you a prayer to pray and thinking points to reflect on.

Source: losing30lbsincollege.tumblr.com via Kari Beth on Pinterest

monday, my mother-in-law texted potential dates for our summer beach trip. monday i started counting calories and yesterday did a workout dvd on netflix. today i am so so so so so so so sore. i took ibuprofen this morning because everything is achy. my abs and inner thighs are the worst! but, if i'm going to get in a bathing suit this summer i have to get in shape. no one wants to see this flab in a bathing suit. no. one.

Source: losing30lbsincollege.tumblr.com via Kari Beth on Pinterest

maybe i'll run again one day. maybe...



we had a lunch date with daddy yesterday. we don't get to do that all too often because he works so far away (25 miles) but every once in awhile we do and its a lot of fun! e and her daddy together is something special. i pray they are always as close.

i'm not sure if i've mentioned before on here my desire to start an etsy shop. well it's something that i've been contemplating for over a year. but with work its just not super feasible. but, with the new year comes new hours and i really think that i'm going to be able to start one soon. hoping in the next couple of days.



my first official product. oliver owl applique lap tee. i'm finishing up 3 dresses (4 really because i'm making one for elle) tomorrow and hopefully will have my etsy shop up and running friday morning. i'm really excited about this.



fabric for the dresses. perfect for, but not limited to, christmas! i even found the floral fabric in a pretty eggplant color. i'm hoping to sew those up next. i have about 8 additional projects i'm wanting to get done in the next week or so...

Source: traceysthoughts.tumblr.com via Kari Beth on Pinterest

there is so much sadness and ugliness lately. mentally i just cannot handle it. my heart can't handle it. people are so lost and so broken. it's so so sad. i don't mean to throw stones here, i'm truly sad for people and their conditions. with that being said, i'm so grateful for all the good in my life.


{via}

i want some leg warmers.

my middle sil has recently started making and selling iced sugar cookies. she's makes the cutest. aaron's family is full of the most talented people ever. see above, my older sil knits and can knit anything. she did not knit those legwarmers, an urban outfitters sweatshop did, but she could and hopefully will. grrr....



she made a yo gabba gabba batch for her son this week and sent us one of each character. to say elle was excited would be the understatement of the year. muno is her favorite so she decided to eat him. i ate toodee and aaron ate flex. holly's cookies are the tastiest i've ever had. if you are local i can hook you up!

and for my last random statement on this wednesday....i would like to say i am slowly, yet surely, getting excited about christmas.

these few things have lit a fire inside me...


{here. here. here.}

beautifully simple trees + elegantly wrapped presents.


{here. here. here.}

crafts. crafts. fun crafts. yep, i'm getting excited.

'tis the season!

tasty tuesday {pumpkin gooey butter cake}

pumpkin gooey butter cake

a la paula deen {recipe}

Cake:

1 18 1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix

1 egg

8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 15-ounce can of pumpkin

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons butter, melted

1 16-ounce box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make the cake: Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Pat the mixture into a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan.

3. Prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together.

4. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.

5. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

ENJOY!

this recipe has never disappointed. make it for thanksgiving and share it with all your friends and family. they will think you are a baking genius.

linking up with 33 shades of green, head on over for lots of tasty recipes.

choosing thankfulness

there's no denying it. monday is not my best day. its a hard day. back to work after 4 consecutive days spent at home with elle louise. a lot pressure comes with mondays. it's a tone-setter for the whole week.

so, today, while rushing out the door. i chose to be thankful for this wonderful life i've been given. not everything comes easily, or gracefully but that's just life.

Source: Uploaded by user via Ally on Pinterest

as much as i try to keep my house clean, my family on a good schedule, dinner on the table every night, chaos still seems to creep into my life. i can choose to dwell in those moments of chaos and let it bring me down or i can choose to laugh it off and move to the next thing. there will always be crumbs on my floor, crayon marks on furniture, stickyness everywhere on the doors, shoes in my way, unorganized counter tops...and you get the point. it's life. and while, yes, i would love for my house to miraculously stay clean and serene but we live in our home. and what's living if i'm always cleaning and organizing.

Source: tulipsandflightsuits.squarespace.com via Kirby on Pinterest

today at work, when i get stressed i'm going to send prayers of thankfulness up for what a wonderful life it is. it's november, thanksgiving is next week. what better time than now to be extra thankful?

it's a beautiful life.

Source: erinmccall.blogspot.com via Alisa on Pinterest

happy monday!

angel/fairy/winged creature

elle louise was indifferent to halloween this  year. i don't think she really got what was going on. she liked her wings, loved everyone oohing and aahing over, and loved loved candy. she was like a crack addict when she tasted her first bite of the sweet stuff. today has been the first day, since halloween, that she has not asked me for candy.

we decided to trick or treat a day early since halloween was on a monday and elle is usually exhausted after spending the day at abuela's. i took elle out to my poppy's in the afternoon, aaron's parents met us over his papa's and then we ventured to my other set of grandparents (mimi and poppy) and my parents, where we ate dinner. it was a long day, but i think elle enjoyed every minute of it. making memories, making memories.









and thank you much, halloween candy, for this...



and this...



and this...



and this...



all because dada wouldn't give her the big camera. toddler drama. enhanced by too much sugar! life is just so hard sometimes.

tasty tuesday {black bean + chickpea hummus}

black bean + chickpea hummus
{original recipe here, but i made a couple changes}

1 can black beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
juice of one lemon
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs greek yogurt
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
2 tbs water (to start with. you'll probably want to add more depending on the consistency you like your hummus)
salt to taste

put everything in a food processor and puree. i like my hummus creamy. creamy like the kind you buy pre-made at sam's club. so, i added quite a bit of water to get it really creamy like i like it. i added a tbs at a time beyond the 2 tbs the recipe calls for. probably put 3-4 extra tbs. can't remember exactly.

serve with grilled pita and veggies.



enjoy!

meal-plan sunday {and a recipe}

changing it to meal-plan sunday. it doesn't flow like meal-plan monday but it makes more sense since i do the planning and grocery shopping on sundays...

this week is a very boring week as far as food is concerned. i'm kind of just not in the mood to cook this week. i know, so weird. this past thursday, friday and saturday (and some today) i worked at home cleaning out closets. purging stuff that we don't need/want and boxing up stuff to put in the attic that we do want, but that is just taking up space in our house right now. i.e., our good china, glassware, and serving pieces. so...we had to buy some storage containers (those are expensive), so i wanted to try to not spend as much as the grocery store. which i did better than last week (which i do realize i never did a meal-plan post last week) and the week before, but still not great. i would like to be able to spend about $100 at the store each week and that include household items we might need too, as well as bath and body products. we'll get there eventually.

here is our menu for the week:

sunday:
leftover lemon salmon burgers {recipe} for lunch
(i know these made sound kind of gross, but you should really try them. they were wonderful. we had them on kaiser rolls with lettuce, avocado and basil-mayo.)
eating out for dinner

monday:
having friends over for dinner
slow-cooker beef stroganoff {recipe} over egg noodles
"venesian inn" salad {recipe}
olive cheese bread {pioneer woman cookbook}
red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing {pioneer woman cookbook}

tuesday:
grateful dead black bean burgers {tupelo honey cafe cookbook}
sweet potato fries

wednesday:
slow-cooker brown beans
skillet cornbread {pioneer woman cookbook}

thursday:
refried bean tostadas
toppings: cabbage, mozzarella, jar salsa, sour cream, avocado

friday/saturday:
birthday parties both nights. woo hoo!

i didn't lie, not a fun food week for us.

and for the recipe...



pb + nutella cookies
{recipe found here}

ingredients:
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c nutella (more or less depending on your love for nutella)

directions:
1-combine butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. mix until well blended.
2-add flour, baking soda and salt. drizzle nutella on top of the dough then cut it through the dough with a butter knife or spatula.
3-preheat oven to 350-degrees
4-chill dough in fridge while oven preheats. roll into balls by hand. place on
parchment lined cookie sheet. using a fork, press down the balls to flatten slightly. bake until edges are very lightly browned (about 7 to 10 minutes).
5-after cooling a bit on cookie sheet, transfer to a cooling rack and let cook completely.
6-enjoy the heck out of them!

i found the recipe on pinterest. my sil also saw it on pinterest and made them and said that her hubby thought they were the best cookies he's ever had. i'm not a huge peanut butter cookie fan, but with the added nutella (could put a tad more than the recipe calls for) they were scrumptious! i can't remember exactly how many cookies they made, maybe around 30. i took a big portion to my parents house last night and finished off the last four cookies just now. while typing up this post.



elle enjoyed some nutella on a spoon. she had to baby spoonfuls. she's a fan! (and, p.s., this is right after her nap. hence why she's looking like she's in a trance.)



a quick pic before heading over to my parents to watch the arkansas game. the razorbacks beat south carolina. woo pig sooie!

we had a fun night! and a fun and busy weekend!

fall beautiful

happy saturday!

you are 21-months old

elle louise,

you are 21-months old today. 3 months away from turning two. where has my baby gone?

you are the joy of mine and your dada's life. we will never be able to fully express the love we have for you. but, sweet girl, we love you more than life itself. and we thank god for you every single day.



you are spunky, sweet, sassy (yes, i'm afraid so), ornery, so smart, happy, silly, and so much fun.

you are my little mini me right now. by my side 24/7, mimicking everything i do.  i've learned to embrace it and try to include you at all times. you've started standing on a chair at the counter while i cook and bake. you stand so still, watching and taking it all in. you like to help me load/unload the dishwasher and put clothes in the dryer.



you are in a fun stage of wanting to call people all the time. dada, nana, gigi, and your aunts. while we don't always call them, you have no problem pretending like they are on the other line. you say "ummm (pause) target, ummm (smack then pause), dada home". your dada says you get the "ummm" from me.

you are constantly singing, your favorite songs are twinkle twinkle, eio (aka old mcdonald), and oh no you never let go. you can sing all lines of twinkle, but you always leave out "how i wonder what you are?". it's awesome listening to your sweet voice sing.

you are a little chatter box. from the moment you wake till the time you shut your eyes at night you are talking. and i love it. we have some great conversations, you and i. you have a huge vocabulary. i can't even begin to list all the words you say. in the last month or two, you've started putting sentences together. you little smarty pants.

you love to be outside. go to the park. play with sidewalk chalk. your babies. color on paper (you know you only color on paper because you have gotten in trouble a time or two for coloring on furniture). dance.



you are a wonderful sleeper and eater. you still take 2 naps a day, each one around 2 hours and sleep 12 hours solid at night. you love food and will eat pretty much anything i fix. you always ask for eggs for breakfast, but if we are out you'll eat oatmeal. some foods you love would include spaghetti squash lasagna (you can eat more than me) and any sort of mexican food: taco meat, enchiladas, taco soup. and you like it spicy. you also love sweet potato fries and brown beans. and you love to dip. it doesn't matter what it is you'll dip it. you love sweets and you ask me to make cookies daily.

you are potty trained. yes ma'am you are. your dada and i are so proud of you. yes, you still have accidents here and there and you don't usually wake up from a nap or bedtime dry. but girl, you've got it down! no more diapers for you, sweet girl. just panties and pull-ups.



my sweet ellie bean, your dada and i love you to the moon and enjoy being present with you and watching you grow and evolve every single day.

you never cease to amaze us.

love, mom