a breakfast picnic | lone star eggs

the weather has finally cooled down, which means breakfast picnics, lunch picnics, snack picnics, oh, and of course, dinner picnics.  let's be honest, it's just way easier to clean up when you can hose down your patio.

we took our breakfast out on the patio, and eg consumed them in the messiest way possible, as only a toddler (i'm still in denial...) can.  i've mentioned before that eating a variety of foods isn't really EG's favorite thing.  she has her staples, but i've been trying to find ways to introduce new foods before we burn out on the three foods in her current rotation.  i've been trying to sneak extra veggies in with her scramblies, and so far, she doesn't really seem to notice. #sneakysneaky

i love making breakfast tacos. it's something that's easy to prep ahead of time, and you can mix in different things, which keeps it from being old.  plus, i love me a good fresh tortillas, so any excuse to heat those up is a winner in my book! 

all you need for texas breakfast tacos are scrambled lone star eggs, fresh tortillas and any combination of mix ins! :) a few of my favorites are breakfast sausage, salsa, spinach, bell peppers and avocados.

I've been having so much fun working with lonestar eggs. :) I can't think of a better fit for a texas breakfast than texas eggs from texas chickens! :)

onesie: the little goose shop
sunshine bow: punky punkin creations

emma grace: fifteen month

emma grace is fifteen months old.
she's walking, waves hello, touches her nose and pats her tummy.
we love bubble guppies, yogurt in any form, and our jelly shoes.

baby girl loves her veggie pouches, but only when she can hold them herself.
she especially loves eating off the floor, and doesn't really understand why every meal or snack can't be a picnic. worst mom ever. but sometimes (most of the time...) i give in.

she has the sweetest smile, the most expressive face, and the best giggle.
i just love her snuggles even if they only last 2 seconds.
she's walking, running-ish, falling, and rolling around like a mad woman.
i have a feeling she thinks if she stops moving, she might not ever be able to move again.

we have survived (knock on wood...) our first round of major sickies. two weeks of a tummy bug, fever and tears and snuggles and runny noses, but we made it, and we found our smiles again.

oh how i love this baby girl!

breakfast for the babe | lone star eggs

breakfast is serious business in this house. especially on saturdays. 

i love breakfast. i love the waffles, bub-hub loves the scrambled eggs.  he loves coming up with different seasoning combinations for them...lately, we're loving the julios! 

scrambled eggs are also a great finger food for us to give to emma grace. relatively un-messy, easy for her to pick up and feed herself, which is prefect for little miss independent!

right now, her favorite foods are black beans & crackers, solid carb choices. knowing that she's starting off her morning with great protein from her scramblies makes my mama-heart happy!  

we love making trips to our local farmers market, but lets be honest, i'm not really ever going to make it there in time to beat the first (on-top-of-it) shoppers who claim the milk & eggs.  luckily, we can still shop local on a more realistic timeline! i just love that i can find lonestar eggs at walmart! they are texas eggs from texas chickens! perfect for my growing texas babe! :)

happy birthday emmers! // snacks & sweet treats

confession:

snacks are my most part of a party.

menu planning and tasting is my favorite.

i've also realized that bite sized snacks are best. 

no one wants to admit they ate 3 bundtinis, but the beauty of a bundtini is that you get to eat three. 

and as much as i love icing, i don't mind not fighting the "how am i going to get this whole bite in my mouth without getting icing up my nose" battle. #sweetworldproblem

the perfect bite sized indulgence.

fruit salad is also an easy go to for me. well, my version of fruit salad anyway.
i usually just pick up a few of my whatever is in-season favorites and toss them in a bowl!
i LOVE when i remember to sprinkle some vanilla pudding mix over it....making it extra sweet.
but i'll be honest. i usually forget. 

can we also just take a minute to talk about how ridiculous watermelon is to cut.
i'm pretty proud of myself for finishing the task with both my thumbs still attached.
it was pretty close though.

and of course.
paper straws for days.

all photos by sarah carpenter.
all calligraphy by katy richards.
paper straws // twigs & twirls

lilac is the new black // nursing in style

you might be catching on, but i have a few faithfuls in my closet: cardigans, camisoles, toothpick jeans and kendras.   #winnerwinner

j-crew factory (yes, the outlet!) toothpick jeans are my go to because i have midget legs, and they are the only jeans i can buy at ankle length without having to hem. #honestandlazy  they look great with a shirt, tunics, or dressed up with heels.  when your budget is stretched and your fun-money-funds are a little scarce, it's important to find key pieces that fit well and make you feel fantastic in all scenarios. 

why this works // button downs are an obvious go to for nursing, but the flat front is super slimming and flows well.  these camisoles are lined, which is fantastic for avoiding extra layers in warm weather.  you could also pair with shorts and sandals or tucked into a maxi!

jcrew factory // camisole, jeans (similar), cardigan
target // shoes (from way too long ago)

what do you think mamas?

easter blessings from our little family

our first easter as a family of three was lovely.  it was simple and sweet. a little break from the chaos of a busy season.  we were able to attend church with our families, laugh, play games, and just enjoy a day together. 

i also discovered my love of smock dresses. #betterlatethannever

oh, and we didn't get a family photo. but let's be honest, these snaps of EG are way better. :) 

incase you were wondering what sunshine looked like in baby form, she is it.  

each and every morning, i wake up thank the Lord for the gift of this beautiful baby girl.  the Lord knew exactly what he was doing when he placed her in our lives.  and oh how glad i am that he knows best. 

i am so thankful for a loving Savior, who came and lived a perfect life, died and rose again to save my sweet family.  in the last year, i've developed a new appreciation and perspective for what sacrificial love really means. in my relationship with bub-hub, with our families, and especially for our baby girl. 

this world is so full of evil and trouble and fear and anxiety, but knowing that we serve a sovereign Lord who protects us and provides for us is more than enough.  he is all the hope we need. 

oh, and my photography assistant, a.k.a. pops, stole few kisses.  perks of the job i suppose.

Christ is Risen. He is Risen indeed.

smock dress // borrowed but similar here
ivory floral crown // little winter shop

playful polka dots // nursing in style

my favorite black shorts are making their second appearance.  

this time, i've paired it with a a fun pleated ruffle tank.  in texas, the weather swings from chilly to smoldering hot in the matter of hours, so when i wear this, i keep a cardigan with me and then toss it in my diaper bag once i start sweating. pardon my pasty-arms everyone.

why this works // this shirt has buttons down the front and is loose fitting. it's comfortable and flattering and like i said before, it can easily be layered with a sweater or worn alone, making it easy to maneuver under your nursing cover.  depending on your preference, you can tuck it in, or leave it out for a more casual feel. 

shirt // jcrew factory, similar here 

bangles and shorts // target

sandals // dsw

ps: let's be instafriends! :) @sarahgracechastain

sunshine and storytime

spring has arrived, and we are taking advantage of every second of tolerable temperatures we can before they disappear into summer. last week, we took a trip to klyde warren park downtown for story time!

the librarian that runs the baby story time is perfect at her job.  when you see her, you know that you're in the right place.  she's so engaging and the babies love her, and by her, i mean all the rattles and fun goodies that make noise and fit perfectly in their mouths.  oh, and she brought bubbles.  best day ever!

after story time, we were able to snag pops away for lunch at savor! #anyexcuseforyummylunch

i think babies should make more appearances downtown.  EG was a hit.  i'm not sure if it was her bright pink romper, her bunny bow, or simply the fact that she's the cutest baby girl there ever was, but she was bringing a lot of smiles to the stressed and overworked professionals during their lunch meetings.  #you'rewelcome  #smilesarefree

bunny bow tutorial // our little family diy
bright pink romper // carters
pink stone necklace // bohemian market

nursing in style // spring time and mama-jorts

it's spring here in texas, which means, it's 80 degrees.  the first few weeks of warm weather is always a little awkward for me.  going from layers and sweaters and leggings and boots to shorts and sandals overnight is the best way to realize you're lacking in the vitamin D department.  time for backyard playdates asap. 

this weekend, we are hoping to spend time outside, hopefully the weather will stay sunny and we can get some time in on the bucket swings.  or maybe snow cones. or hopefully both. 

i'm a big fan of these 4 inch inseam shorts from j-crew factory.  they are the perfect length for my little midget legs, but i don't think they look like mom-jorts...and if they do, please don't tell me.

why this works //  this cream shirt is really loose fitting and has stretch to it, which makes it comfortable and really easy to move in.  i layered it with a nursing tank (gilligan & o'malley always wins), comfy shorts and fun sandals.  layers are key to helping make your "normal" clothes function as nursing friendly ones.  oh, and did you know bangles also double as teethers? #prettyandpractical-ish.

so mamas, what are you spring favorites?

bangles and tank // target
shirt, jorts // jcrew factory

shoes // dsw

nursing in style // caramel and denim

my mom calls me the cardigan queen. cool right? #youknowyouwanttobemyfriend

recently, i've been trying to break out of cardigan comfort zone and branch out...to longer sweaters. i know. look out world.

i found this caramel colored open faced sweater at target.  it's super cozy and neutral which means it can be worn with practically anything. i layered it with a tank here, but it would also look great with button down, or even a t-shirts or v-neck. 

as far as tanks go, i'm obsessed with the gilligan & o'malley nursing tanks. 5 days post-partem, my mother-in-law asked if i needed anything from target, and i said, "yes! a few more nursing tanks please!" because i had a baby with acid reflux and laundry wasn't exactly at the top of my priority list.  the gilligan & o'malley nursing tanks are my favorite because they look normal, they fit well, and they, let's be real...they wash well. :)   

also, let's be honest, i'm barely out of my maternity jeans.  after wearing stretchy yoga-maternity-jeans for 7 months, it's pretty ridiculous to expect anyone to squeeze into anything that buttons.

jewelry is always hit or miss.  luckily EG usually ignores my kendra's, so i'll always make the attempt.

why this works // nursing tanks are always a winning choice, but i think the sweater and fun shoes make it look like any other cami.  i think shoes are the best way to add something fun to your outfit, and the baby can't take that away from you! :)

sweater, shoes and tank // target
earrings // kendra scott
jeans // jcrew factory

so mamas, what do you think?

a bunny for my babe // felt headband diy

here it goes,,,,an attempt at a little easter bunny headband tutorial. :)

all for about a $1. can't beat that!

all you need for this little diddy is felt, glue, scissors and an alligator clip!

recently, i've been having a little too much fun with felt.  but is there such a thing? i haven't splurged on the good stuff yet...i stick with the 4/$1 sheets at hobby lobby.  i used white, navy and bright pink. and i'm not sure if hot glue is the best adhesive for this type of project, but it's what i have, and it gets the job done, so winner! :)

all you have to do is cut, glue and then glue some more.  easy right?

click here to download your template and the instructions!

oh, if you're not into DIYs but still want to snag your little one some easter headgear, check out one of these super adorable etsy shops!

gloria miller's creations
la la pop shop
homemade trends

don't forget to tag #ourlittlefamilydiy in the photos of your cute little bunnies!

spring break fakin'

spring is in the air y'all, and by spring, i mean summer. because let's be real. spring doesn't exist in dfw. well that's a little bit of a lie. it exists for 27 minutes. 

EG and i had a lot of fun parading around town during spring break.  i mean, our lives are pretty busy, so we needed to get away from the daily grind.  #gimmiethebbq

we took a trip to the farmers market, ate a ginormous sandwich at pecan lodge, threw a fun gender reveal party for our bestie, played in the backyard, and ordered chocolate chip pancakes at the local diner.   #allonatuesday 

we also hit some pretty major milestones this week. EG posed for her first passport photo #cheeseplease and fed herself puffs.  she's gotten pretty good at swatting them off the highchair, but now we've moved on to bigger and better things. aka: stuffing her whole fist in her mouth, sometimes resulting in puff-eating success.  raider is pretty bummed about it. he's not blinded by her sweet baby girl grin. #gimmiethepuffs
we also got to hang out with uncle grayson this week!

yay for spring break. it's pretty much awesome all around. even if you're fakin' it.

nursing in style // casual chambray and black

time for some honesty.

throughout my pregnancy, the "will you won't you breastfeed" question was kinda overwhelming to me.  and this is pretty selfish, but after 7ish month of maternity clothes and stretchy striped everything, thought of not being able to wear anything cute or feel like myself for another extended period of time wasn't exactly encouraging.  i remember sitting on the couch, browsing the fantastic selection of nursing tanks and wrap shirts and thinking about how adorable my sweet friends were were going to be in their cute summer outfits. ehhhh no thank you. but baby trumps fashion and selfishness.  

eight months in, i wouldn't necessarily consider myself an expert, but i do feel like i've gained a bit of confidence and am learning to branch out a little.   i've enjoyed getting to wear and shop for normal clothes again, even if i have to think things through a little bit differently.  and let's be real, feeling cute makes a big impact when trying to fend off the baby blues. gotta love those post-partem hormones. 

and thus, nursing in style was born. :)  this is my attempt to encourage nursing newbies through the tough times and help build a little of that confidence.  nursing is hard enough as it is...there's no need to feel frumpy on top of that! 

this outfit is fun because it's super simple, and easy to change up with different sandals or jewelry.  EG finds this neckless pretty entertaining, so that's good and bad...sometimes it ends up in my purse. 

and these shorts...so comfy.  i'm going to get all the colors. and even better, they seem like they'd be maternity friendly!

why this works // button downs are a staple for nursing mamas and stretchy shorts are forgiving when you're learning how to dress the new you. this pair is also flowy which looks great when you're standing, or sitting on the floor with your babe. :)

shorts // target

shirt // j-crew factory

shoes // carlos via dsw

necklace // target, similar 

so mamas...what do you think?

emma grace // eight month update

dear sweet baby girl,

you're getting sillier by the day.  i don't know where you get all your smiles, but they are the most pure form of joy.  i'm so in love with your sweet hugs and kisses. you're such a little snuggle bug and i hope that never changes.

you're trying new foods...so far we love sweet potatoes, bananas, potatoes, blueberries, and you love your puffs! i think you'll be ready for fro-yo any day now!

this month, you took your first trip sitting up in the shopping cart and loved every minute.  you're little miss independent and love looking around and reaching for everything. your favorite grocery store toy is the bag of chocolate chips...someday i promise i'll let you try the real thing!

i think crawling is right around the corner, but let's be real, you're really ready to start running!  we've created a little machine in that walker, and i think it's going to be impossible to keep you down for long!  you're moving from room to room like a pro, following us around and showing off your skills.

my heart is growing more and more every day for you little one. i love you more than you'll ever know. 

love,

your mama

an impulsive coat of paint

a few months back, we found a great kitchen table and chairs at a local garage sale for $35. it wasn't in terrible shape, but i remember selling it to bub-hub as a quick fixer-upper...oops. it only took me five months to get to the fixing part.

on saturday, i was at ace hardware getting a battery and a key chain when i saw the amy howard one step paint display...one step...how do you beat that?  i had been debating the best way to paint the table, and by best, i mean easiest.  after a quick and successful sell from the paint guy at ace hardware, i decided to take the plunge.  i'll work on my impulse shopping in 2016...

what i used:
amy howard at home, one step paint in black
basic paint brushes (available at any hardware store)
an old sheet

what i did:
painted!

it took us about 3 hours....2 1/2 of that was spent on the scrolly details of the chairs. we did one coat on everything except the top of the table, which i went over again just because.  even with the second coat on the table, we only used about 1/4 of the quart.

it dried perfectly in about thirty minutes...not bad at all! she has an optional top coats that you can use for different finishes, but i just love the matte finish.  it's just what i had in mind all along.  simple and sweet.  i usually end every painting project with a very determined declaration of i'm never painting again, but this time, it wasn't so bad! i'm already plotting what else i can paint!

our valentines day decorations

love is in the air! and on the mantle and the entry way table and all over the house. :)

when i set out looking for valentines decorations, i fully intended on just picking up some paper and cutting out hearts on my own.  and then i got to the store, and went a little crazy.

first, i stumbled upon these fun corrugated hearts from hobby lobby!  instead of cutting out all the hearts on my own, i just taped the die cut hearts onto some twine, pinned it to the mantle, and voila! a $5 valentines mantle in ten minutes! :)

i've had my eye on the teeny tiny mail boxes in the target dollar spot for a while, and i finally took the plunge!   initially, i was excited to use them as "love bug special delivery" boxes, but after getting them home, i realized they are too tiny for any of the cards or gifts i (i mean the love bug...) wanted to share, but they are the perfect size for my mantle, so i consider it $3 well spent. :)

i had decided to try something different for the entry way, and then i found these larger paper mache mailboxes. can you say "meant to be"?!  they are the perfect size for cards and little bags of candy....which i may or may not have already sampled. #sorryimnotsorry i even grabbed a few extras to stash in the closet for any future littles! :)

i can't wait for EG to be big enough to be excited about these silly little things.  for now, i'm just going to pretend that's she's into it. :)

paper mache mailbox // hobby lobby
corrugated hearts // hobby lobby (similar here)
scrap book paper // michael's (available at any craft store)
sweetheart printable // studio calico
pink frame // target (similar here)
mini mail boxes, burlap runner // target dollar spot
gold frames // goodwill

emma grace // seven month update

dear sweet baby girl,

oh how i love you so! your daddy and i are just head over heels for you.  we can't get enough of this little adventure that we are on with you.  you're so interactive and your little, and by little i mean HUGE, personality is shining through.

you're a reaching and chewing machine! your toys, my hair, anything on the table (uhh....the table), and sometimes even sweet potatoes.  oh, and now your stickers! :)  i think you're starting to teethe, so anything that can fit in your mouth is fair game for chewing!

we're finally getting to wear some of your 6m clothes.  it's been so fun to see you grow, and i can't get enough of your arm and thigh rolls!

you've discovered your voice and are giggling and squealing up a storm. you LOVE your walker and are becoming a pro at moving from room to room.  you've started rolling from your back to your tummy, and sometimes even back again.  we haven't quite started crawling, but we are pretty good at wiggling around in a circle! you're also becoming quite the expert at sitting and reaching. you know what you want, and you go for it!

you have the biggest and best smiles. i can't get enough. thank you for bringing the sunshine. :)

love,

your mama

fun with felt // baby girl DIY

i've recently entered the world of baby girl bow mania.

i know...i'm a little late to the game. but i'm making up for lost time.

my new obsession combined with an audit of my craft closet resulted in....valentine felt bows for eg!

i've been getting so many questions about them, i decided to take a stab at a tutorial. #marthawannabe

i'm not a tutorial expert, but here it goes.

what you need:

felt

scissors 

embroidery thread

large-ish needle (that's the technical term)

hot glue gun

pencil

elastic (mine is 1/8 inch wide...ish) and/or alligator clips 

what you do:

first, decide what shape you want to cut out, and trace it with a pencil.  i did a few circles and a few hearts in different sizes, and then i'd decided to get a little crazy and did a little "e". :)

next, carefully glue the pieces together.  i think it's best to have two layers, but it probably just depends on the quality of felt you end up with.  oh, and don't go too crazy with the glue.  if you're going to add stitching, it's harder to stitch through the portions that have been glued, so plan accordingly. 

then, if you want to add a little extra pizzaz, you can stitch around the edges with the embroidery thread.  i chose a lilac purple, because that's what i had left in my craft drawer, and surprisingly, it turned out pretty great! 

lastly, carefully glue the alligator clip to the back of the felt cut out. or, if you're using elastic, space out your pieces and glue them on accordingly.  i added an extra piece of felt on the back to smooth out the portion that would be on baby girl's head. 

oh, the actual last step is really putting the bow on the babe and snapping a bazillion and one photos so you can overshare on instagram :) 

pretty sure this is going to be my new favorite holiday tradition.  

watch out president's day....it's about to get cray.