Piqued My Fancy

I've got a slight touch of the Monday Grumpy Blues today. I have no motivation to leave the house. So, I'm at home painting and watching Yo Gabba Gabba with the kids and working on mountains of laundry...

Here's some internet finds that have piqued my fancy over last few days. Maybe my motivation will kick in and I'll make one of these this week. Here's to Tuesday!

#1. I'm itching to create a home-office space. Currently, I've set up shop at our dining room table and it's getting old, people. This office-space is chic, doesn't take up too much space, and screams, "you will feel creative here!".

#2. This playing-card-bow is a very simple idea, but one that would be great to keep in mind when wrapping a man-gift.

#3. What's this? Why it's an external battery charger for your iphone. This small girly gismo doesn't require a power-outlet, making it perfect to toss in your purse for emergency situations.

#4. Do you have a brown-sugar lover in your family. My FIL LOVES himself some dark brown sugar, so I'm going to have to try making him this brown sugar banana jam.  

#5. Scalloped shorts are adorable, and this outfit is the perfect example of how you can wear them. I also love this chick's ombre hair. 

#6. I tend to be kinda picky when it comes to buying clothes for Johnny. I can only handle so many tiny shirts and pants with trains, firetrucks, dinosaurs, dogs and ridiculous sayings on them. Making these DIY inkblot baby pants are a great way to cure my baby-boy-clothes-woes. I even want to attempt a neon 80's version of these for Jojo. 

#7. This art project looks super easy, and like something I can do with Jojo. I'm thinking we can make some cute stationary...

#8. This idea may reak of cheesy craftiness, but I don't care. I still want to do it. I really think I can expand on this idea and turn it into something chic. I'll report back on this...

 

*TWINKIES*

Joleen insisted I do her hair like mine today {{swoon!}}. These magical little moments are what I always dreamed life would be like with a daughter. I have the Friday Happies, ya'all!

What's everyone doing this weekend? The Curtis House will be glued to the Olympic's opening ceremony tonight while grubbin' on some ribs. Sounds glorious, right?

See you Monday. Have a fabulous weekend!



 

Johnny Days of Summer

Working from home isn't always peaches. Don't get me wrong, I feel beyond super lucky to be able to be at home with my babes and still have an awesome career that I love, but Joleen and Johnny don't always get that mommy can't be on a conference call and play hide-and-seek at the same time.

Being a work-from-home mama definitely has its challenges, but about a year ago, we put Joleen in school two days a week, and that has been a lifesaver! Not only do these days give me a little slice of mellow time to knock some work out, but on days when work is on the slower side, I get to spend some one-on-one quality time with my mini Johnny Cat.

Today just happened to be a Jojo school day and a work day where I was magically able to accomplish everything I needed to do while Johnny took his morning nap. Thank the sweet Lord for naps.
 

Johnny has the sweetest little spirit. He wakes up from all his naps this happy.

Off we go! Errands are much easier with one kid vs. two.

At TJ MaXX, hunting for treasures for Joleen's upcoming birthday party. This mini stud gets so much attention from the ladies. Even grannies can't resist those baby guns.

My shopping buddy.

This little boy can only handle so much shopping before all he wants is to go home and play.

On a very unrelated topic...

Survey - Should a mom of two [me] wear high-waisted short shorts? Is it appropriate? I had these on for about two minutes, [I can't believe I'm about to post the following embarrassing photo] but ultimately changed before leaving the house. Should they go in my donation pile?

Notice the tent? Joleen has set up camp in our mater-bedroom. The girl refuses to sleep in her room due to "scary ghosts".

I'm off to snuggle and *smooch* on my hubby while we watch Project Runway. Buenas noches.


 

36 Years YOUNG

That's what 36 flaming candles look like.

Brendon is officially closer to 40 than 30. I think he was a little melancholy about this fact yesterday as we celebrated his 36th birthday. But like I told him while he was taking his morning shower, 40 is the new 30 and it's all about how young you feel on the inside. Later, while glancing at himself in the bathroom mirror, he said he still feels like he's in his twenties. My only response was a sweet smile, but I was thinking, you definitely act like it.

Don't worry husband - you make 36 look HOT, you sexy man you. Even after 6 years together (5 of them married), I can't get enough of you.

Joleen and I made no-sugar-added Nutella cookies for daddy's birthday.

 

Tunica Was "SLIMERY"

We're back from Tunica, ya'all. The gambling capital of the south was unkind to our bank account as luck was not on our side this weekend. No jackpot was won (sorry kids - we tried to win enough to pay for your college educations, but no dice). Oh well, the hubs and I were just so happy to have had a weekend to relax and just be together. We joked all weekend that people were probably thinking we were on our honeymoon... we just couldn't keep our hands off each other. We decided that a few weekends a year away from the kids is mandatory and vital for our sanity and for our marriage.

So, here are some pictures from our trip...

After lots of kisses at Grandma and Grandpa's house , I sadly left my babies, but once in the car, my sadness strangely went away. 

We'll miss you kids, but peace out.

Stopping to fill 'ArMonster' up with gas.

Gas station bathrooms are nasty. Squatting while peeing is an art form that I had to master quickly. Also, note to self - gas station bathrooms really do have driers that not only dry the hands, but have nozzles that can be turned "upward to dry hair'. I always thought this was a myth.

On the road again. My time behind the wheel was short-lived as my husband is a HORRIBLE side-seat driver. But in his defense, I'm admittedly not the best driver.

The TN landscape really is quite breathtaking. 

What's a road trip without some 'Steak n' Shake'?

After four hours in the car, we made it to Tunica, MS. The Gold Strike Hotel and Casino was waiting for us... waiting to take our money, that is. 

The minute you walk into the Gold Strike Hotel lobby, you're slapped with a waft of cigarette smoke and the sound of slot machines.

The view from our 18th floor hotel room. Tunica really is in the middle of nowhere and rises right out of farm land.

Since it was my hubby's birthday weekend, he got to pick where we ate. His options in Tunica consisted of casino buffets or 'Waffle House'. Brendon opted to have his meals "smothered and covered" all weekend.

For those who may be heading to a casino in the near future, I HATE slot machines. They are so unkind. They are addictive and eat your money. Brendon and I learned quickly (but not quickly enough) that slot machines are how casinos make all their money. I think we paid for Gold Strike to add a new section on to their hotel. You're welcome. 

One and a half days in Tunica was the perfect amount of time. By yesterday morning, we were ready to hit the road back home. Brendon now thinks that this will be an annual celebration of his birthday, so I guess we will be returning in a year. Grandma and Grandpa - you two up for it again??

Happy birthday, husband! I love you sooooooooooo much!

Curious to know what our road trip playlist consisted of? Here are the songs Brendon had to endure me singing (loudly) to.

"Tunica or bust" playlist:

• Tree House - Canon Blue
• Nightless Night - Husky Rescue 
• Fallout - Neon Indian
• Pu$$y - Iggy Azelea 
• Nightcall - Kavinsky & Lovefoxxxx
• Oh That I had - Mt. Eden
• Children's Story - Slick Rick
• Under Your Spell - Desire
• Tick of The Clock - Chromatics 
• Where Not to Look for Freedom - The Belle Birgade
• Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
• C'est la mort - The Civil Wars
• A Real Hero - College
• November Rain - Guns N' Roses
• Don't Walk Away - Jade
• E.T. - Katy Perry
• Radio - Lana Del Rey
• This is How We Do It- Montell Jordan
• We Found Love - Rihanna

The Web is my Oi!ster

Happy Friday! The hubs and I are dropping our babes off with Grandma and Grandpa and hittin' the open road. Where's our destination? Tunica, MS.- the gambling capital of the south [kill me]. Le sigh... since it's Brendon's birthday, he loves to play poker, and I love to love him, I'm takin' my gambling man a'gamblin'. Wish us luck. I'll be sure to post pictures of this adventure.

Until then, here are some goodies I have stumbled across while searching the interweb over the past few days. Have a great weekend!

#1.This might be the happiest bathroom I have ever seen. I want to wallpaper all the walls in my house. 

#2.I must figure out how to give myself a chevron mani.

#3.I Love the mix of prints and that this outfit is accessorized with a vintagey watch and bag and pops of turquoise. I am picturing myself wearing this with my hair in a messy bun and some cute nude ballet flats on my feet.

#4. Blank canvas + paint + newspaper + Modge Podge + your favorite quote = Chic and inexpensive wall art.

#5. Ethreal is my new favorite line of jewelery. I want all of Sarah's pieces, especially this dope sterling silver cast with a genuine white coral hand-carved skull ring.

#6. I HAVE TO make a 'Joleen' lasso for her 'cowgirl' birthday party next month. I foresee a trip to the craft store in my future. 

#7. I MUST make this Peperoni Pasta Recipe. It's on next week's menu.

#8. I would rather be writing this blog post outside while sitting in this Montauk Nest Chair...

My FAVORITE Sunscreens for Kids, 2012

If you're like me and the pool is your babysitter this summer, be sure to check out my favorite picks for sunscreens for your kids and family over on babble.com. Happy slathering!

Pins I've Pined Over Today

#1. Love this look for summer. Simple, comfy, stylish yet, seemingly mom-friendly.

#2. Gotta love a great optical illusion! I'm all about a red lip right now and this trick might just come in super handy. Lush lips here I come!

#3. These DIY earrings are not only genius, but totally boho-chic for summer! Adore.

#4. What a fancy tuck! This looks like it will work perfectly with my dirty mom-hair. There is no tutorial, but if I can master it, I'll post one.

#5. These DIY burro pinata cookies will be a hit at your fiesta. 

Quick LUNCH for the Weary

Being a work-from-home mom means that I'm home a lot. It also means that I rarely make it into the shower, it's a good day if I actually make it out of my PJs, and I'm lucky if I have time to eat three solid meals a day. With two little bellies to feed besides my own, meal-time is a mad scramble to fix two different meals for my very picky eaters before they are both screaming their heads off. This leaves very little time to actually prepare a meal for myself, let alone eat it.

So - because I noticed that not eating enough calories was affecting the amount of breast milk I was able to produce, I decided that I had to figure out a way to at least eat an actual lunch every single day. In my endeavor, I have come up with a few tasty lunch-recipes that can be thrown together in 10 minutes or less. They beat leftovers from the night before and frozen Lean Cuisines.

Get my recipe for Fiesta Black Bean Quinoa after the jump...

Hello. W E L C O M E.

My first post. I must admit this feels a bit daunting. Where to start? I guess I'll start by quickly expanding on the basics...

My name is Stevee. Yes, I was named after Stevie Nicks, and yes, everyone asks me that. It's ok. She's rad and I'm proud to share her name. My dad use to be a big hippie and for some reason my mom allowed him to pick my name and it was either Jet, or Stevee, so I'm super thrilled he went with Stevee; although, Jet would have been cool during my college hippie days. 

My college days aren't too far behind me... I'm 26. I'm a 26 year-old wife and mother of two (three if you count our furry beast). I know, crazy, right? I got married when I was 21 and had my first baby, Joleen (yes, she was named after the Dolly Parton song), when I was 23. 22 months later, I gave birth to my son, Johnny (yes, he was named after Johnny Cash). At this point you may be thinking, this girl is a typical southern gal who got married young and wants to pop out as many babies as possible. NOPE. It wasn't my dream/goal to marry that young, but when I met my husband, Brendon, it truly was love at first sight [that's a story for another time] and who am I to question fate. Marrying him is the best decision I have ever made. Oh, and my baby-making factory is closed for business. No more popping babies out. So, I'm on the younger side of being a wife, mother, and dealing with the craziness that is this life. 

We live in Nashville,TN. My hubby is in the advertising world, and I'm in the social media and freelancing world. Luckily, my job allows me to work-from-home with the kids. That isn't always easy, but I feel super lucky to be home with my babies and still have a career.

So, why am I starting this blog? I'm starting it for myself. I have no idea if anyone else will every read/follow it, but that doesn't really matter to me. I need a passion outside of work and home. I'm not exactly sure where I want to take things here, but I'm excited to see where it goes and I hope to reach and become friends with all the other cyber-mommy-friends out there!

* Meet my little f a m i l y... 

 ... and then there's me. This picture is my life in a N u T s H e L l...

Here goes nothing...