You is...

Amazing Headboard

Hello!! Again, it's been a while since I blogged. Seems like I'm blogging less these days.. but I am still working on projects. I'll probably need to play catch up for a little while. 

I've been DYING to make a headboard since I've been on pinterest. I originally wanted to make an upholstered headboard but I already have a bed and no spare room. So finally I took on Brian- as my unsuspecting recipient of my amazing creation. We talked plans a few times and finally decided against my dream of tufted upholstered linen headboard (Anyone want one, let's talk!!) 

I found these step by step plans on pinterest from Ana White's site. You can find it HERE. And now that I look back at the original bed I realize I missed a step (one board at the top) but I like my better :) 

I'm not even going to try to give step by step directions because she does a fab job but here are some pics. I didn't use everything they said I would- like I remember I didn't use screws. I didn't use clamps (which i NEED desperately before I tackle anything else!) Brian picked out a walnut stain that actually wasn't really a stain but more a paint stain... pretty easy to use but a tad sticky. 

In all, I'm totally happy with how the bed turned out and I love staring at it.. I know, don't judge me!! Very proud of this masterpiece :) 

Hope you love! If you wanna make one, give me a call and I'd be happy to help! It cost less than $100 dollars!! AND if you want to make an upholstered headboard, we for sure need to chat! 

xoxo, AH

yuuummmm!

To say I've tried a lot of recipes on pinterest would be an understatement... I've tried a ridiculous amount!! Some great, some just ok, some disasters and then there are some that are out of this world... amazing!!! 

I've made these Cheddar Biscuits a few times and I feel it is my duty to you to share because let's be honest, I don't care if they weren't from skinny taste.. I'd eat every single carb loaded calorie and not think twice. They are that good.... and really... 97.3 calories! Pure and simple LOVE. 

Just a couple things before I give you the recipe... I usually half the recipe so I'm not left with a million biscuits and it makes about 6. I've started leaving out the garlic, I KNOW, who am I?! AND I don't use all the cheese it calls for. So let's say my biscuits are like 70 calories... sounds good to me! Bon Appetit! 

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
compliments of Skinnytaste.com 
Servings: 14 • Serving Size: 1 biscuit • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 97.3 • Fat: 3.9 g • Protein: 3.7 g • Carb: 13.0 g • Fiber: 0.0 g

Ingredients: 
  

• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 2 cups Heart Smart Bisquick
• 3.5 oz shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (Cabot 50% reduced fat)
• 2/3 cup fat free milk

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Melt butter in a small frying pan, add half the garlic and saute on low heat about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add parsley. (sometimes I'm lazy when I don't use garlic and just melt the butter in the microwave and then add the parsley) 

In a large bowl, combine biscuit mix, cheddar cheese, and remaining garlic. Stir in milk and mix (do not over mix). Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls (1.5 oz each) onto prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Brush or drizzle biscuits with melted butter. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

Enjoy! xoxo

motivational monday...

I remembered!! Hope everyone has a fabulous Monday! I can't wait to share with y'all (SOON) my new project that I've been working on. It's going to be AMAZING!!!! 

Tara's Shower...

This past weekend I helped throw a shower for Tara! Since my mission in life is to become Martha Stewart.. naturally, I took on the decorating aspect of the shower :) 

Sydney took this awesome panoramic shot of the food area. We held the shower at Crush Wine Bar in NLR (Argenta) which I absolutely love... I def need to spend some more time in this area. CAN NOT wait for the farmers market :) 

Anyway, I'll share some pics now of the decor. AGAIN, I'm not the most talented photographer but I thought it turned out really cute! 

 

Hope you love! It was a fun, successful party! Until the next one... :) xoxo

lately...

Well... I've been pretty absent from my blog over the past month.. and really neglecting Motivational Monday. So I figured I'd update you on my life over the past month to play catch up. Hopefully soon things will slow down a bit and I can get back to blogging about crafts and food :) 

It's only Tuesday and my week has been not so fabulous. Early Monday morning I woke up to someone ringing my doorbell (It's not rare for me to dream about people knocking on my door/ringing the doorbell, I know right) so I assumed I was dreaming, until someone knocked and rang the bell again. I started freaking out, looked at my phone... it was 4 AM! Cue HUGE freak-out .. then they start beating! Like so loud, I opened my bedroom door and my whole apartment was bright red and all I can see if firetrucks outside. I flew the door open to find a firefighter, he comes in shining a light in my apartment, I FREAK out! Like in a loud, kind of screaming but not crying voice I say something along the lines of "OMG, what is going on, what is happening? Where do I go, what do I do?! I don't know why I'm acting like this, I feel like I'm freaking out but I feel calm but I have no idea what's going on. I think I'm still asleep." He interrupts me and is like ma'am, please calm down. You are ok, there has been a fire in the building and I'm checking to make sure you have no smoke in your apartment. I felt so bad for him, I'm sure he was doing all he could do to not laugh, my behavior was a little intense. I'm blaming it on the fact that I was uber confused and still asleep AND a little scared. So I go to the window and see this... 

You can't see everything and I'm really not trying to over hype this but I counted 10 trucks. And there were firefighters everywhere, outside, roaming down the halls... I still have no idea what happened. But it reaks... like someone burned a whole lot of bacon and popcorn.. I assume it started on my floor because the other floors don't smell. I know it was around the corner and the whole trash chute and elevator downstairs are burned pretty bad. Soooo needless to say I didn't sleep the rest of the night, the firetrucks were there for a few hours and were loud... that's another thing.. HOW in the world did I not hear these million trucks coming or outside my window. I was SO tired that night so I must have been deep in my sleep cycle. 

So then Monday afternoon it rained like crazy and somehow my car windows rolled down without my knowledge. My car interior is still soaked.. no telling how long this is going to take to air out. Just fabulous! 

Anyway, I have had some good weeks this year so far. Valentine's Day was fabulous. I got these beauties... and Brian I went on an awesome walk through hillcrest and cooked a delicious, 10+ meal! We're actually a pretty amazing team of cooks! 

Hayden got to come to work and hang with me for a little while the week prior- after a lunch date with Whitney :) 

I also did some more work to my apartment! I finally decided to paint a wall in my living/dining room area and it looks FABU! I will have to take some better pics of it and post them later.. I also moved my fabulous DIY mirror to this wall and it pops now and looks amazing! 

I also FINALLY got my long awaited drill from my Christmas list and I went to work immediately. I had these really annoying doors in my kitchen that looked like shutters and had no point but to take up space and frustrate me. The same with my bathroom... three doors in one tiny bathroom... so I had decided, when I get my drill I will take down the kitchen doors and I will remove the closet door in the bathroom and just organize it to look pretty and use lots of baskets! So I did.... and I'll post about them later but here's a preview :)  

SO much better!! Obviously my apartment isn't very clean but I snapped this quick pic to send to my mom :) 

Also, celebrated a few birthdays this past month... Sydney and Laura both turned 27! And we actually celebrated both at Boscos

And then there was more time with my favorite little 7 month old... 

And that's pretty much what's been going on! Here's hoping the week gets much better from this point out... :) xoxo 

Motivational Wednesday?

So I forgot to post motivational Monday, again! And then I forgot on Tuesday so lets try for a Motivational Wednesday this week!! :) 

Lent, Day 2

Happy day to you all.... Happy Lent and Happy Valentines Day!  I've always had mixed feelings about Valentine's Day... I don't love it but I don't hate it. Single or taken... but I do love hearts! And I love them all year around. 

This year (and last) I'm lucky to have a fabulous best friend of a person that I call my boyfriend. But also I'm lucky to have some other Valentine's in the form of my family and friends :) I love you all very, very much! 

SOOO.. Lent started yesterday. I started the day off bright and early by attending the Ash Wednesday service at Christ Episcopal here in downtown Little Rock. I finally decided for Lent this year that I'm going to go with the BUSTED HALO, Pray, Fast, Give calendar. 

Below is the calendar event for today.. each day they show an icon (kind of a tease as to whats to come) today's showed a picture of Katy Perry. You can't click on the day in advance, you have to wait until it's the actual day. So here's what I got... 

I pray for humility, honestly, because it’s very easy to be caught up in this world. — Katy Perry

FAST from your biggest worldly vice today (be it media, internet, alcohol, food, porn, politics, gossip, etc.).

PRAY for humility today. 

GIVE others the benefit of the doubt today.

Today I'm going with fasting. And I'm choosing facebook. So for today, no facebook... and praying for humility.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

Monday, a day late...

So I'm a day late with Motivational Monday.. oops! I love the saying I picked for today... LOVE IT! Hope it inspires you to remember this, always! 

LENT

I've been trying to decide what to give up for Lent for a couple weeks now. I always put a lot of thought in to what to give up.. I usually ask my sister.. who always tells me that I should take on something. I never can come up with something (with the exception of 2011) so I end up giving something up (the easy way) BUT I usually give up things that are pretty tough to give up. This year I really want to do something different, take on a daily devotional or take on something, I just don't know what!? I found THIS today.. and I like the general idea, I would like to switch it up though. 

My mom has also told me about the Fast, Pray, Give calendar on Busted Halo. And here's why... 

Traditionally, Lent was a time for personal conversion leading up to Easter, during which Christians practiced the spiritual disciplines of fasting, praying and almsgiving to strip away all that is unnecessary and become more mindful of their ultimate dependence on God. Let’s recapture the true meaning of Lent in ways that are actually relevant to your life. Each day throughout Lent, starting on Ash Wednesday, the calendar’s link for that day will become active, revealing a Daily Jolt for spiritual contemplation relating to Lent, and new and practical ideas for fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

 In the past I've done the following:

2006: no ice cream, at the time I was addicated to Shakey's 

2007: no chocolate

2008: no sweets

2009: no facebook

2010: no facebook, again... and no chocolate

2011: no facebook and I wrote 1 letter via snail mail each day to someone that either I haven't talked to in a while or just a letter to say thanks for being wonderful :)

2012: no shopping

So there, I think I've made my decision while writing this post. Share with me what you do, please. I'd like to hear others thoughts/opinions. Do you give up anything for Lent? Can you "cheat" on Sundays? Do you struggle to make it 40 days? I'd like to hear any thoughts! Thanks, xo. 

NEW Etsy!

Hello! I've got a few new listings up on Etsy, you can also check them out on my new "Designs" tab on this site... or by clicking HERE.

Psalm 121 Bird Canvas

Trust in the LORD canvas

Quote 16x20 Canvas

love thy neighbor

Usually I don't write about anything of any importance on my blog, but today I feel like I need to ask for some help... in the form of prayer. 

I feel like over the past month or so I've encountered so many friends going through some tough situations. All very different situations.. I'd just like to ask without going in to details for a number of unspoken prayer requests. 

I'm also including a song by Natalie Grant that I listen to when I am feeling down or looking for answers. This song gives me hope and reminds me that God is on my side, always present.. even when I've failed Him or think He's not listening. 

"But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." 

Isaiah 40:31

Thank you. xoxo, ah

new design....

Hello!  Just wanted to point out to everyone that I've added some tabs to the top of my blog. Please click on any (or all) and check out the new stuff I'm adding. It will be easier to find things within my blog now, all DIY projects will be in one place! And the same with recipes, my designs, etc. It's a work in progress but please keep checking back... someday soon it will be FAB! 

xoxo

motivational monday...

Absolutely love, believe, favorite thing to look at.. everyday! This was the background on my old work blackberry.. so I could see it and remember this every. single. day. Trying to live it in my daily life. Happy Monday!  

throwback thursday.... 2010 flashback

Recently I've started using my old camera, you're probably wondering why I'm telling you this.... Well, cause it's been dead for about 2 years but I finally figured out a way to charge it.. and it takes amazing pictures so now I'm using it all the time. Mainly to take photos of my apartment and craft projects. I feel like it's time I step up from an iPhone camera.. especially since I own 3 cameras. Redic, I know. 2 have been dead for years!! 

So anyway, as I was transferring pictures of my newly painted kitchen (!!!!) I found so many old pictures that were fabulous. They go all the way back to like 2007! I enjoyed that walk down memory lane (like usual) but I REALLY enjoyed the ones from my last day of work as a TV reporter. 

Matt followed me around for the last hour and documented everything, Including me going through hair and makeup for the last show :/. I always have mixed feelings about being out of the new business and these pics really make me miss it! Enjoy :) 

Perfecting the poof, it has to be just right!! Notice the clock, 5 mins til showtime! Seems like it was always a race to get to set on time.

just a couple more sprays.... must have a helmet head to work in the news business :)  AND that look on my face, gracious... why do I always do this while spraying?!

Waiting on set, just minutes out. I will never forget this day because the AC was out on the set. We were broadcasting from the hallway but reporters still had to pitch stories from the set, HOTT!!!! 

andddd..... standby.... 

....take Alex! Go time, good-bye TV world! 

Can you believe I'm reporting on sports?! I did my fair share, I think Joaquin even made me an honorary member of the sports team since I did a few stories for him. So there's my walk down memory lane for the day... and if you are interested in seeing the story.. I posted the link below! :) 

Football Players Work to Beat the Heat

Patio Pillows!

I feel like I worked on this project FOREVER! Probably because I did... I originally was going to do this during my Pinterest project challenge but realized I really had no where to put 2 burlap pillows. So when I moved and got a little couch on my patio I figured it was the perfect time! 

I mean this burlap fabric has been cut for umm.... since July! Finally I took it home with me in early December to use my mom's sewing machine. (Since my apt is so small, I don't have room for a machine!) 

I realize once I get home that I forgot all my supplies, except the burlap. Went to walmart and got some paint but forgot brushes and at 11PM I realize this... so I painted these with q-tips. Not a fab paint job but it works! 

Finally, I sewed the sides and started to stuff... turns out I didn't have near enough to fill the pillows with, so I decide to finish when I get back to Little Rock. 

2 months later and I just bought some more fill, finished stuffing, closed the pillows up and ta-da! I have new pillows for my couch. Not that you have any room to sit now since I just added them to the ones that were already outside. But they sure do add a nice pop of color and fun! Enjoy! 

Do you love my almost dead mums? I should probably put them out of their misery and just trash them... but I can't make myself! 

Back to the pillows- I also made a super cute one for my couch (matched my ottoman) that I'll have to show you in a later post. I'm finally ALMOST satisfied with my apartment so I'll have to start posting pics of my finished rooms! Til then... XOXO

etsy upgrades....

So proud of my new etsy banner that I HAVE to share! I'm sure this isn't that awesome to most of y'all but I'm so proud of my mad publisher skills :) I would LOVE to learn how to use Adobe and make awesome things but for now... I'll just stick to backroom publisher blog/etsy designs. (And this is the condensed version since I figured the banner would be too large to fit!)

SHOP HERE!

If you haven't visited my shop in a while, you should! I have a few new items.. like this guy :) 

motivational monday....

REALLY struggling with posting on my blog... but at least I'm not neglecting Motivational Monday's... which is good cause I need the motivation, probably more than the next person :) Today my MM comes from good ole Abe Lincoln... enjoy! 

monday, monday......

....motivational monday!! This is SO true but so hard to do. I'm trying to make a conscience effort to do just this... ENJOY!! 

MORE Valentine's Burlap....

Since I actually sold one I decided to make a few more options for this Valentine's day.... enjoy! 

Glitter LOVE Burlap

Red & White Heart Burlap