A year in review: 2012

2012 was a crazy awesome year for our little family. Here are a few of our favorite things to be thankful for!

We moved into our sweet yellow craftsman in the Museum District of Fort Worth! This is our dream neighborhood and we are so thankful to drive the bricks home every night. 

We attended another year of the AMAZING Titus La Fete Du Ballet. LOVE this show and it's become something we look forward to every year. 

We walked another March of Dimes Walk for Babies in honor of our friends 3 angels. 

I took a trip down to Austin with my mom and sister-in-law for the 50th anniversary of the Ballet Austin Nutcracker. 

I was honored as a top attorney in Tarrant County. 

One of my oldest friends from college got married to her long-time beau. It was so fun to share all of her pre-wedding activities with her!

We saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers, one of my all time favorite bands. And they did not disappoint. 

Lastly, We had a great trip to Las Vegas to see Awol!

Here's to another great year together!

After Christmas Sale: Kate Spade Style

Kate Spade is offering an additional 25% off of all sale items. Here are a few of my favs! All prices are listed not taking into account the additional discount.

                                                  

 The Mott Street Lacey in Celedon, $97. I love, love, love Kate Spade wallets for their quality and storage options. This one has 12 credit cards spots, 2 billfolds and a zipper pocket. 

                                                    

Kaleidoscope Gem Large Natalie, $88. If you're looking for a durable, cute make up bag here it is. 

                                                      

The Parker Dress, $238. I own 2 Kate Spade dresses and the quality in her clothing is excellent. This color block dress has made the rounds in several fashion magazines and should be flattering on most body types. 

                                                         

Oh good heaven. I don't think this needs much introduction. Maricel Shirt, $114. Lucky sizes only. 

                                                                         
The Set in Stone Drop Earrings, a shockingly low $33. I've oogled these at Nordstrom several times and they are gorgeous in person. Each one is slightly different because it's a natural stone and they look like very good quality materials. 

And saving the prettiest for last..........

                                                          

EEEPPPPPPP! SO pretty. So so pretty. I find that Kate Spade shoes tend to run about a half size larger, so I'd recommend sizing down unless you can pop into a boutique to try them yourself. Still pricey even with the discount, but I think these are worth it for their flexible styling options. Kalla, $229. 

Stocking stuffers for your favorite little elf (or bestie, mom, neighbor, sister-in-love, etc.)

The hubs and I don't really exchange gifts for Christmas, so picking up little treasures for friends & family might be the only Christmas shopping I do during the season. Here are a few of my favorite stocking stuffers for the little elfs in your life!

                                     

Who wouldn't want a darling photo of a baby animal????!!!! Prints start at $25

                                          

Pretty, pretty Stila palette! $10 at Sephora


                                            

Cute headband that's perfect for the gym AND Sunday brunch. 8 color choices, $10 at Nordstrom.

                                          
YUM! Philosophy bath products are great quality and their scents can't be beat. This Lemon Angel Food Cake set is on sale for $17.60 at Nordstrom.


                                            

I have swooned over these coasters every time I walk into an Anthropologie for the last 6 months. There are tons of colors and they are all stunning. $34 for set of 4.

                                               

We'll finish out this gift list with a present for that extra special little elf. This beautiful scarf is a little more spendy, but it's a gift that will likely get a lot of use. $48 at Anthro.

Viva Las Vegas!

This week, my hubs and I decided to run away for a mini-vacation to Las Vegas! We had airline tickets that had to be used by December 31st and I'd wanted to see a band called AwolNation for a while, so when we saw they were performing at a number of Holiday shows it was the perfect storm.

                                                        

Our best show option was the Holiday Havoc and as an added bonus we found a great room deal at the hosting Hard Rock Hotel.

                                   


I'd never been to Vegas, so I had no idea what to expect. Since neither of us are big agenda travelers we decided to just feel out the situation when we got there. First I have to say that as a non-smoker I struggled big time. I just wasn't prepared for cigarette smoke everywhere and felt congested even in our non-smoking room. If you're a non-smoker I highly suggest that you begin taking allergy medication the day before heading to Vegas, otherwise you may be making a CVS run like we did. As a bonus though, I got to meet these guys on the way :0)

                                 


One of the best tips we heard was to purchase the buffet pass. Because it's valid for a full 24 hours, we were able to use it to have dinner on day 1, breakfast on day 2 and an afternoon snack on day 2. Our favorite place to eat was the Paris Hotel buffet, and at $12 each the a la carte cost of the ahem *8* crepes we ate over 2 days would have easily outpaced the $45 per person pass cost.

                                      


Our standout dining experience was hands down at the Wynn Terrace Point Cafe. Some time ago I read an article about Mr. Wynn adopting a vegan diet and his plan to include vegan entrees at various restaurants, so a stop in was really the only 'must do' on my list. I can say with certainty that the Vegan Chicken and Waffles was the BEST non-ethnic vegan meal I have ever eaten. Ever. To the point that I asked my meat eating husband to check and make sure I didn't accidentally receive the meat version. In addition to the excellent lunch, the outdoor patio dining was a welcomed escape from all of the vegas noise.

                                     

Another welcomed escape came from the Vdara Hotel and Spa. Honestly if we had known about Vdara we probably would have stayed there as it's one of the few 100% non-smoking hotels in Vegas and they boast an eco-friendly commitment. I stopped by their spa on day 3 to indulge in a pedicure. Holy awesome. Not only was it the best pedicure I've ever had, but I left feeling thrilled that the products used were all natural and not tested on animals. I also got a giggle when I found out that FarmHouse Fresh (the product used in my pedicure service) is located just around the corner in Frisco, Texas. I took home one of their Honey Heel Glazes to try!

                                  

Of course, the trip highlight was the Holiday Havoc show. AwolNation exceeded my expectations and then some. It's rare for me to find that a band sounds as good live as they do on their record, but Awol didn't waiver at all. I hope that they make their way to Texas in 2013 so I can see them again!!!!

In the mean time, Viva Las Vegas!!!

-DBC 

Making our house our Home.

We purchased our new (to us) house in spring of 2012. It's a 1925 Craftsman with a lovely front porch, huge windows and tons of character. Unfortunately, it also came complete with the requisite rotten window box that had to be removed. I LOVE our front porch, but I'd always struggled with what to do with the empty space the window box left behind- it just felt a little naked. I didn't really want another window box because of the aforementioned rot issue, but I felt like it needed something. After much googling, I came across the Martha Stewart post for this window box alternative. 

                                               

I immediately thought that something like this was do-able for us! Next I set out to find appropriate planting containers. While we love the vintage style of our Craftsman, our decorating style tends to run more Mission than Cottage, so I knew that square, metal and black were the goal. We've had good luck with Crate and Barrel in the past, so I checked out their garden section and lo and behold the perfect containers. On SALE!

                                     

We were able to score these beauties for just $5 each and I scooped up the last 6 in their warehouse. After prepping the board, we started measuring. I realized that I actually liked the look for the planters sitting on top of the plain board- so for at least time time being no cutting was necessary. Since the board is just prepped and painted, if we happen to have any rot issues it's a very easy/affordable swap. Add in a few ornamental cabbages and ivy from Calloway's and I was set. PS Cotton says hello

                                

Overall, the house feels so much more balanced to me  and I'm thrilled with the results!