photoshoot

photoshoot by myfirstnameisrachel featuring petite dresses

House Updates

nothing gets my ass in gear than a party. i really should host more in the name of getting stuff done! This friday, I'm hosting a lingerie shower for my oldest friend. needless to say, homegirl was a DIY machine! Here are some updates on my townhouse:

in an effort towards full disclosure, i started by spray painting the chairs (previously black). I quickly realized that, while I'm good at some things, I'm very bad at spray painting. so i nixed that and went on to painting normally. 

the entire time, talulah grace was riiiight there. she cant handle any type of attention not going to her. 

I hung my gallery wall. I've had those two crown sconces forever. I bought them when a local boutique went out of business. The piece of artwork next to it was gifted to me from my Dad for my 24th birthday (close up in the picture below)! and the plate is from coton colors pottery. last but not least, the frame on the right, is just a piece of fabric framed! 

my mom always makes the best wreaths; here is the latest she made me. also, bless my dad. he pressure washed my front stoop! i really want to get new house numbers, but as a renter, spending the $30.00 seems like kind of a waste. i think a potted plant is the next addition!

Here is my new & improved dining room. I hung my Lilly Pulitzer flower poofs, along with 2 framed fabric peices (sense a trend?). I also added one of my favorite Amanda Catherine Designs print to the frame on the left. Also on the table, are two more of my birthday gifts: the Lilly Pulitzer tray and a set of Kate Spade vases! I really love this space, walking by it puts a huge smile on my face. 

happy monday!

Easter 2013

what a great holiday! a celebration of a risen savior? i mean, c'mon! not to mention, everyone seems to look so attractive on easter. i couldn't help but notice, as everyone was leaving church on sunday, it looked like one big lilly pulitzer ad. i really wish people looked like that all of the time! 

i happen to dress like that as often as possible. bright colors? yes! florals? yes! big hair? hell yes! 

not the best selfie. i was having a GREAT hair and makeup day. praise the lord!

oh, and there are presents & candy! here are the baskets i prepared for my mom, dad, and talulah grace. mom's was full of beauty samples & a lilly pulitzer note pad, dad's had Les Mis (all the candy was at their house, so i filled it up once i arrived.), and sweet wigala's had a new toy, bone, and rachel ray treats! 

my best friend invited me to City Church's service at the Civic Center. what a blessing to have such a great church in our great city of Tallahassee. They have a true calling to serve not only our maker, but our city! WHAT....a concept. i'm excited to get more involved with this great church!

after Easter service, we hopped (ha! a post Easter pun!) over to Cabo's for their bunch and 2/1 mimosas. YA'LL, if you live in Tallahassee and have not been to their brunch, i don't know what you are doing with yourself. so, so, so yummy. best of all, its super affordable! 

Ashlyn & I at brunch. I am so thankful for such a great friend! She has been inviting me for YEARS. i was so glad that i finally went! We are such good friends that, this is our ONLY picture together. seriously! it's an easter miracle...i went to church + took a picture with my bffaeaeae. 

What a great Sunday! 

Side note: look at this beautiful flower that sprouted in my back yard. i came home and couldn't believe it! i also have a rose bush that you can kind of see in this picture. i really want to try to keep it alive this summer! add it to the list of goals, folks. 

the laundry snatcher

there is a biiiig problem at the seventh ave house...

 I have a little laundry snatcher. all of my current hampers have cut outs in them, so this little girl takes it upon herself to pull out items. after she pulls them out, she CHEWS HOLES in them. seriously, if i made a list and added up the total cost, i have a feeling a certain little girl would be looking for a new home. good thing she does things like this:

i mean, seriously. she has my heart. 

this is a mesh bag to wash lingerie in or was. now it is a toy for talulah grace. perfect example of her snatching. 

so i was thinking of adding a laundry sorter to my life. i thought in the hallway between my bathroom and bedroom, it would fit perfectly. it also may cure my need for piling clothes, towels, and unmentionables on every counter. 

these are some of the top contenders:

i like that there is four compartments. perfect for sorting lights, darks, delicates, and towels/sheets

same thing with this one, but it is a little more attractive. its $69.00 though. seems like a lot for a laundry sorter...

this is kind of the bare necessity one. its only $38.00 though!

only thing about these that i worry about is that they are open at the top. talulah grace is smart, ya'll, like, if she wants something, she WILL find a way. 

exhibit a:

my mom had made us a spare wreath and left it in the kitchen. i kept hearing some noise coming from that room, and talulah wasn't in her bed. this is how i found her, examining plotting how she was going to get those flowers off of the wreath. three days later, she came running into the living room with a flower in her mouth. "i did it, mama!" ugh. 

ZDT among other things

i have spent the last 24 hours watching Zero Dark Thirty on repeat. ya'll...this movie is incredible. Jessica Chastain deserves every bit of acclaim she received for this movie. 

not to mention, there are some fine ass men in this film. yummy yum yum. 

so, i've also been trying to eat more like a human and less like a bear entering hibernation. with taking time off from work, i've been able to try out some new recipes! confession: cooking freaks me out. if there are more than 5 ingredients, i lose my shit.  i really envy people who love to cook. i look at people like Natalie from Designer Bags & Dirty Diapers, Joceyln from Saucy Jocey's Kitchen, and my Dad with googly eyes. They love to cook (oh, and they're good at it!). I love to pretend to cook. 

so here are some i've tried so far:

Crock Pot Fried Rice:

see the full recipe here:  http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/05/crockpot-fried-rice-recipe.html

i've decided that other than using it to marinate chicken, im retiring my crock pot. i never end up liking the recipes. this is another example of a failed recipe. i tossed the whole thing. (i should mention i didn't follow the directions exactly. i have enough rules in my life. im not following a recipe too!) 

Roasted Garlic Pasta Salad:

full recipe here: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2012/05/roasted-garlic-pasta-salad-853-recipe.html

i actually didn't mind this one. i don't think ill end up making it again, but i ate it as a side dish for 3 days. i didn't actually use any of the garlic, because well, i forgot to buy it. i had to add a good bit of salt, pepper, and cheese to really enjoy it, so that will be my main reason for not re-making it. 

side note: beth at budget bytes does some really cool dishes! they are also super affordable, so i recommend ya'll checking her blog out. i feel like it would be great for a family. 

Coffee Frappuccino Protein Shake

I couldn't find the original source of this, so i just copied and pasted what the pin said: 1 packet of Starbucks Via instant coffee, 1 scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder , 8oz vanilla almond milk, 

8-9 ice cubes. Blend.

i really enjoyed this! i'm drinking it as we speak actually! 

these, along with my future recipes, are on my pinterest boards. 

find me here: http://pinterest.com/rachelaamy/

ok. i'm off to Target. my parents are buying me adirondack chairs for easter! i cant wait to have a pretty patio area! 

*i also do not know why the above is in black and the rest is in pink. just rollin' with the punches, ya'll.  

weekly wrap up

whew, this week was a week! 

Sundays always make me feel like i can totally start fresh. I try to get my coupons cut, my meals planned, and some type of chore accomplished. 

a few tid-bits from this week:

I updated my upstairs vanity top. you guys, i am a beauty sample a.d.d.i.c.t. anytime you want to try any product, chances are, i have a sample of it. they make me so happy. 

speaking of happy things, i finally tried butter by london nail polish. this is the true effect of reading blogs. never have i ever spent $15 on a bottle of nail polish. (or would've!... before reading blogs) look, if everyone else is doing it, i am most definitely going to try. this stuff does not disappoint! it lasted for 3-4 days without a top coat or base coat. 

this is how we do chores, talulah grace on my hips. who needs a toddler? i kid you not, i unloaded dishes, cooked rice, and made coffee all while carrying this little chunk chunk.

Sarah and i went for an afternoon walk last friday; we were so proud of ourselves for skipping happy hour to walk....only to end up at the bar. typical. talulah loved being outside. the world is her oyster. 

last weekend, i attended the junior league's whale of a sale! we had a great time other than the crowds. the amy family does not do crowds. 

see? two posts in a week! stick with me, i'm gettin' there.

learning

you guys, i suck.

i really wish blogging was on the top of my priority list, or for that matter, even on one of my lists.

i love writing, and i do feel like i have a voice, but shit! balancing life + work is hard! --by balance, i mean, coming home from work and managing to get 4 day old laundry folded--blogging falls to the wayside. then i see women with three kids under the age of 4 managing to write five days/week. oh, and did i mention? they are amazing posts! so, then i think, "girl, you have a dog. get over yourself." 

i used to hate when women complained about their 20's. i've been in the midst of them for 4 years, from what i saw, i had no complaints...until now.  20-23 is not your 20's. you're still in college, you just legally entered the drinking land, you are making your own money (or you should be! i'm looking at you, over privileged white people), the world is your oyster. 

...and then you hit 24. hangovers arent fun anymore, more than one of your friends are pregnant, married, home owners, making more money than you, or in a long term relationship. if i go a week without some type of meltdown, i'm content. 

i guess i should be thankful for my mid-twenties. i'm learning what i will and will not settle for, i'm learning that a dusty house is not a happy house; i'm learning that it is worth it to hang out with my dad once a week. i'm learning that in order to be the woman i want to be, i really will have to find time to go to the gym. i'm learning that the world is not ending, i do not need that final bite of chick fil a. 

most importantly, im learning that everything does not have to be exactly as it should; no phase of life lasts forever. there will come a time when i end a month with more than $5 in my bank account (but for now, at least its in the positive, mom!!) . there will be a time where i learn (and appreciate) the importance of cooking, gardening, and how to fold a fitted sheet. 

bottom line, im learning. im okay with not having my shit totally together. 

heres to trying..

this has no relevance, but it made me happy :)

Golden Globes

I, just like every other red-blooded woman, loves award season. Lets be clear though, when I say I love it, I mean I read people’s tweets and switch between the actual award show + Frasier. {all about honesty here, folks.} I do watch the red carpet; {nope, that’s a lie. I watch it the next morning with coffee.} I’m currently waiting for the recap from my mom.

In all honesty, I feel like the award shows are to celebrities as the bar in Tallahassee during the Holidays is to non-celebrities me.  You see a bunch of people that you know, but either don’t actively keep up with or have already slept with and ruled out. They’re all corralled into a room with booze. Of course your excited to see each other! Its just we are drinking PBR, and at the Globes, they’re drinking Dom. You say tomatoe, I say tomato. <---I don't know why I can't get this paragraph to be centered. Sorry?

Overall, there weren't a lot of looks that stood out to me. These two were my favorites: 

I love anything Jessica Alba does. Her day to day style is something worth paying attention to. She is proof that Brad Goreski knows his shit. 

Jennifer Lawrence appears so down to earth, right? Her "I beat Meryl!" was so funny. As someone who had the First Wives Club soundtrack, I laughed out loud. I'm not totally sold on the top of the dress, but I don't hate the look as a whole.

Ugh, T-Minus 3 hours until I'm back to the real world of work. 

Even I Shouldn't Watch It

I love a good TV show. Call me crazy, but I've always been slightly addicted to bad good television. I've been canceling plans in lieu of watching TV for as long as I can remember. This would be my mom's first inkling of "You aren't ever going to date, are you?" No, not when Andy Cohen keeps creating gems like "Vanderpump Rules". 

Which brings me to exhibit A of a show even I can't stomach (but do)...

Vanderpump Rules

...clearly, no she doesn't. I love Lisa. She is my top 3 favorite housewives, but this show is painful. First of all, if the characters can't have normal names then I can't devote 60 painstaking minutes to following their nonsense. Scheana? Stassi? Stassi this. I turned on the Golden Girls. Second of all, what the hell is it about? You guys work in a restaurant. You bring people food. For a living. Get a hold of yourselves. *disclaimer: I have the utmost respect for the service industry. I always tip 20% simply because I could never work in that part of the service industry. I also hold true, if a person is not nice to a waiter, they are not a nice person. Regardless of the previous 3 sentences, see you Monday, Bravo. You know I'll be there with breath that is bated. 

Just a little Sunday nonsense to get me through the last 24 hours of my vacation. womp womp womp. 

Instagram Thursday

I really want to make an effort to start a weekly, re-occurring post. We'll start with this, and see if it sticks.

I {finally} joined instagram!! I definitely see what the hype is all about! Here are a few recent posts:

Here is talulah grace, thinking "wow. my mom is an idiot" as she watched me stand outside for 20 minutes, locked out of my own house. 

New coffee mugs from Target! I think I'm going to break down and buy the whole dining set. They are super affordable. Especially, when I've been contemplating Kate Spade Larabee Road. $3.99/plate vs $20.00/plate. SOLD. 

What I brought with me as I locked myself out of my house. Water bottle, reusable bag, and my cell phone. keys? Nah, who needs those? Idiot. 

Painted walls! We did it, folks! Not to toot my own horn, but they look amaze! {toot! toot!} I'm having a hard time capturing them in pictures, but trust me. My dad and I knocked them out in about 2 hours. 

I have been saving my magazines for my vacation. I also ordered Homeland. (Reason #4,535,383 that I love Amazon. Almost $12 cheaper than my beloved Target!) If you are not watching Homeland, I do not know what you're waiting for. I'm debating pre-ordering Season 2. 

The little girl, snug as a bug. She was all snuggled up in a blanket. It melted my heart! {If your DOG is in a blanket, it may be a sign that you keep your house too cold. I am an asshole.}

This is alittle delayed, but here is half of my NYE outfit. I loved those shoes; I bought them from DSW,  but I had no reason to. Enter: New Years Eve!  

Follow me at @myfirstnameisrachel

Alright folks, one more day of the work week. You can do it! 

Gallery Wall Ingredients

ya'll know I love a good bandwagon. My newly painted wall behind my couch is aching for some art work. Gallery wall to the rescue! I know it is a bit overdone in the decorating world, but it really is so effective. Here are the prints I'm planning to buy. Although I come from two people who only buy originals, prints are such a great deal. I just really don't want to commit to $200-$500 on original pieces.     Insert my dad's judgement. Literally, I asked my dad what he thought about a print that I was debating buying, he replied: "I only buy originals...signed originals, so I really don't have an opinion." This coming from the man in $9 target polos and most likely sporting his house slippers around town. Moving on. 

via Ashley Brooke Designs 

via Rifle Paper Co. *

via Rifle Paper Co.*

via Elizabeth Mayville on Etsy {found through Mackenzie at Design Darling}

via Minted.com 

via Note to Self Print Shop. {Sarah's blog is incredible. She is a true inspiration. Google Note to Self blog!}

via Inslee Design 

I don't really know where I can find ones, but I want one or two plates like this. I think it will help add some depth?

I listed the sites under the pictures. My apologies, for some reason, my laptop won't let me add links without just copying & pasting the entire thing. Not happening.

*ps. These are cards, that I just plan on framing in matted, 4x6 frames. $4.50 for the card + $5.00-$10.00 for the frame. Practically free!

ok, back to Homeland episodes. {priorities, people}

Be Productive

ok, so I committed to take on more home projects. Well, it is as if the universe smiled down and agreed. I am on vacation for SIX whole days starting this Sunday at 5pm.

Here is my list of projects I plan to accomplish:

one | Paint: The wall that runs between my dining room and living room is to be painted white and gold stripes. I first saw it again, on the Everygirl, (seriously, no wonder that website is ranked on forbes list!) and I have not been able to take my mind off of it! I plan to layout the stripes and get everything off of the wall Sunday evening (+ a glass of wine or two). 

two | Organize: All closets will be in my warpath. The following need to be handled:

-downstairs linen closet

-upstairs linen closet

-under the kitchen sink

-under the master bathroom sink 

three | Drapes: this is more of an item for my mom. Get on it, lady! Time's a wastin'. I already have the fabric, a pink silk I bought on sale for ... wait for it... $2.50/yard.  That with a white, grosgrain ribbon to complete the greek key pattern. This is the look that we are replicating:

If you are not following Jill Sorensen's work..what are you waiting for? She is a genius. Her use of color is amazeballs.You can find her work on her blog, http://blog.livelikeyou.com 

four | Make my headboard: This one is reaching alittle far, but I at least want to make some progress. Jennifer, over at I heart organizing, wrote, what seems to be, an easy tutorial. Although, she makes everything look easy! {link to tutorial: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/06/boys-bedroom-upholstered-headboards.html}

Here are some pictures, from her blog, of the finished product:

Here is the fabric. I have three shower curtains, and pieces of an old bedspread that I have been saving for a special project. What better than an upholstered headboard?!

so wish me luck! I'll be back with pictures of the projects as they come together. {god willing!}

Happy Weekend, Ya'll!