Have a large tray and trying to find ways to use it? Here are nine different options for how to decorate with a basket tray. You all asked? And today? I’m going to deliver. When I posted all about how to remodel a kitchen on a budget (and every time I post a kitchen post) I get asked about this basket. Whenever you’ve asked in the past, I’ve looked for a similar basket. I got this one over 10 years ago at Hobby Lobby and I should have bought a gazillion of them because apparently, they are rarer than a solar eclipse. But this time? I was NOT going to be defeated. I took it on as my personal ..read more

Random thoughts on a Saturday morning that’s full of joy: 1. I’m in the middle of planning a graduation party for my nephew. We are having a giant dessert charcuterie table (but no balloon arch—he was not about it). 2. Everyone is all about the Dallas Stars and the Dallas Mavericks around here. Both Dallas teams are in the playoffs right now. Both my sons went to the playoff game last night. I cheered from home—better snacks and no traffic. 3. On Thursday night, I hosted Mah Jong. I absolutely love the game. It was so hard to learn, but now slowly I’m learning it with each game. I think I ne ..read more

Random thoughts on a stormy Saturday morning: 1. I made chicken wraps with lettuce last night for dinner (remember I’m a cook, now). They were so good. I added that chicken that I love and then black beans and sour cream and salsa and avocado. Someone suggested cabbage wraps to me. I’m going to try that next. 2. In exciting news, we just got invited to a fancy party for my aunt’s anniversary up at the Cape. Time to start planning the outfit. 3. Looking for a fun way to make your room feel like summer without spending a dime? Here’s a tip I use all the time. 4. It was an amazing week on the b ..read more

Looking for decorative bowl filler ideas? There are so many inexpensive ideas to fill a bowl in minutes. Here are 25 of my favorites. Can we unpack a decorating challenge? You know. You have a bowl or a tray or an oversized vessel. It’s beautiful and decorative and stylish and incredible and and and and…. …empty. Maybe it’s empty because you like it empty in which case this might not be the post for you (totally understand and absolutely no decorating judgment here). Maybe it’s empty because you are waiting for a special occasion to fill it. Or maybe? Maybe it’s empty because you can’t think ..read more

Have you ever been so excited about two things and you can’t decide which to be excited about more? That’s me. I want to share this entire taco bar and how I made it and all the ingredients (and how you can make it gluten-free). And then? I want to share with you all how I conquered my fear of meat. Seriously. I think that’s where all my entire non-cooking thing started all those years ago. Remember the roast? Remember the chicken fiasco? Remember my macaroni and cheese kitchen? I think everything started because literally cannot figure out meat. How to prepare it? How to fix it? What type o ..read more

Random thoughts on a rainy Saturday: 1. I am so happy right now because the Dipladenias are blooming and blooming. I wait all year for the Dipladenias to arrive. We buy them every April and they bloom(with proper watering) through September. Dipladenia and Mandevilla are cousins (except I think Dipladenia is cuter). 2. It has been storming here in Texas–thunderstorms and lightning and rain and more rain. I LOVE thunderstorms. I lay in the upstairs room sometimes and just watch the skies dance. 3. I just got a brand new tool that finds my top 10 sellers each week. I was so surprised at number ..read more

Do you know how much I love reading your comments? Seriously. It is one of my greatest joys in this life. To write something and have someone respond is a gift. When I wrote the story of the ring and what I discovered it brought up all the things from all those years at Baylor. Truth? It was so challenging. I didn’t have a car so I saved my pennies working at Dairy Queen the summer between freshman and sophomore year at Baylor to buy a moped. I drove that moped everywhere. It was only .25 to fill it up and I drove it to work every day on the Waco circle. I worked at El Chico’s and the requir ..read more

This past weekend was full of joy and laughter and celebrating and chips and queso and school ring shopping. I can’t believe I just typed that. Yes. It’s true. The twins will be SENIORS at Baylor next year so it was time to go and pick out their class rings. I hadn’t ever been school ring shopping in very long time so I was completely unaware of all the weighty decisions that were involved in the process. What type of seal? What type of gold? What type of stones are around the seal? What type of setting? What type of band? What type of bucket? I brought along my Baylor ring to help. I laid i ..read more

I just finished a mini refresh of this blue and white office. Here are some ideas and inspiration for office decorating. This is the door I walk through every morning when I head to work on this blog. My office door. I grab coffee and a few of my hopes and dreams and ideas head into this room every day when the sun rises in the east. I just finished a mini makeover on this space that was born out of necessity. A necessity called Buddy. Sigh. Buddy our golden retriever and he’s 17 years old and he’s been with our family since before the twins learned to read. He’s funny and smart and full of ..read more

Wondering how to create an outdoor pea gravel patio in the yard? Here’s how we added a patio to a corner of our yard. I’m not sure which I’m more excited about. The fact that we are in the path of totality for the eclipse today? Or that we finished the front yard this weekend (and created the CUTEST pea gravel patio for al fresco dining). (total aside: someone just told me that the song “Total Eclipse Of the Heart” is the EXACT length of the solar eclipse today. I have it cued up for when it goes dark.) It’s a true toss-up. I mean…solar eclipses are amazing and a natural phenomenon that’s ..read more