Prayer Request For My Nephew

Can I ask a favor of y'all? Could you please say a prayer for my nephew Ben? He's 12 years old and has had a migraine headache for FOUR weeks. He's already missed a month of school because of it. He was even in the hospital for a couple of days while they gave him some meds through an IV and it didn't really help with the pain. He's had an MRI and it didn't show anything wrong. They're really at a loss as to what's causing the migraine. He's pretty sensitive to light right now too.

We're looking for any suggestions on how we can help Ben. If you've had migraines, or had a child that dealt with them, could you please leave a comment and share any info. on what helped with the pain? You can also email me at texasdecor88@gmail.com. I think his parents are pretty much willing to try anything at this point. 

Thank you so much! We really appreciate all your prayers! 

~Lisa

So, this is finally happening...

Yep, we're finally painting our kitchen cabinets!!! I'm really excited (and sore) :) 

I can't wait to get rid of the maple color. This is what my living room looked like yesterday. 

Here it is with just a coat of primer. I really think I'm going to love the new look! 

Please forgive me if it takes me a little longer to visit all your blogs. These cabinets are taking up all my spare time. :) I will be sharing a few cabinet updates on instagram if you want to follow along on our painting adventure. (my name is "texasdecor" on instagram) I just ordered my new hardware last night and can't wait to see it. Hopefully it won't take us too long to finish and I can have a post up soon about my new white cabinets. :)

~Lisa

A Garden Update

I thought I'd do a quick update on what's blooming in my garden. When I last left you, this Saint Joseph amaryllis was just about to burst open with pretty blooms. Well, just a couple of days later, this happened...

They're such a pretty red color. :)

My shamrock started blooming too. 

And here it is just a couple of days later...  

The knock out roses are doing well. That little one in the middle is called a "Rainbow" knock out. Its petals are pink, yellow, and white.

Below is a close up of the Rainbow Knock Out Rose

Oh these two...they are so funny. That's Rocky on the left and Gladys on the right. They are the two strays we're feeding. We named the one of the left "Rocky" because he's all scratched up from cat fights. And Gladys just looked like a "Gladys" to me. :)

Gladys rules the roost. When I go out there to feed them, she pushes her way past Rocky and gobbles up the food before he even has a chance to eat.

We finally started putting TWO bowls out there so Rocky at least has a chance at eating. :) But, when Gladys is done, she just up and runs off and good ol' Rocky just has to traipse after her, even if he's not done eating. I think she's got him wrapped around her little paw. Rocky seems to cater to her every need. :)

One more thing...I wanted to show this pic of the bottle brush trees in full bloom. They recently exploded with color!

The one on the right is a little ahead of the one on the left as far as blooming. They really do look just like a red bottle brush. :)

Well, that's it for now. What's blooming in your garden?

~Lisa

Liebster Award!

I was so excited when sweet Danielle from The Cheerful Home told me she nominated me for a Liebster Award! I really was honored that she would think of me. :) Here's the information I got directly from Danielle's blog explaining what the Liebster Award is...

"It's given by bloggers to new bloggers as a way to recognize their hard work and also provide a platform to discover new blogs. The word "liebster" is German and means kind, dear, lovely, pleasant, valued, endearing, and welcome." 

That is just the sweetest, kindest thing I've read in a long time. :) 

The rules are:

1. Thank your Liebster Award presenter...thank you again, Danielle!

2. Answer the 11 questions presented to you.

3. Nominate 11 up and coming bloggers for the Liebster Award

4. Provide 11 questions for your nominees to answer and notify them of the nomination.

Here are my questions from Danielle:

1. How long have you been blogging, and what inspired you to begin?

I've been blogging since March, 2013. I think I was mostly inspired by other bloggers. I first discovered what a blog was in 2009 and have learned so much from browsing blogs. I've not only learned new ways to decorate and craft, but also how to do these things on a budget. I really think I've saved so much money by learning how to DIY several projects. 

2. If you could go anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?

This one is easy. I'd definitely go to London. And since it's so close, probably France too. I've always had a predilection for all things British. :)

3. What are your favorite blogs?

Well, this one is hard. I guess I'd have to say Kelly's Korner since she was pretty much the first blog I followed. It was through her blog that I discovered all the other wonderful blogs out there. Another one of the first blogs I started following was  Bless Our Nest. Shannon has the cutest kids and I love her decorating style. 

4. Are you a night owl or an early bird?

I'm definitely an early bird.

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully still blogging and enjoying it. We'll also have put one son through college and another one will be finishing up his sophomore year in college, so we'll be close to having an empty nest. :)

6. What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Anyone who knows me in real life will tell you I've ALWAYS wanted to be a wife and mother. (except for that brief period when I was six years old and wanted to be Jan Brady.) ;) But other than that, I've always looked forward to being a stay at home mom and taking care of my family. I'm extremely thankful every single day that I'm able to do just that. 

7. What is your favorite vacation spot?

Hands down, California. Anywhere in California. I love the northern parts and the southern parts. San Francisco is one of my favorite places to visit. It gets so hot in Texas, so California weather is just perfection in my book. I'd love to live there someday. It would be so nice to go hiking where it's not 100 degrees in July. I'd spend a lot more time outdoors if I lived in California.

The sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco

Redwood trees in Muir Woods, Mill Valley, Ca.

8. Who is most influential in your life?

 I would have to say my mom. I talk to her almost every day on the phone. She's a great listener and lets me vent to her all the time. :) I always feel better after talking with her. She's also one of my biggest supporters in what ever I'm doing at any given moment. 

9. What's your favorite piece of furniture in your house?

Probably my kitchen hutch. I got it years ago at World Market and love decorating it for different holidays. That little space in my kitchen acts as if it was built specifically for that piece. 

10. How did you decide on your blog name?

It wasn't too hard. I knew I wanted the name "Texas" in it, and I thought I'd pretty much blog about decorating, so "Texas Decor" was born. :)

11. If you could talk to your 18 year old self today, what advice would you give?

I'd probably say to relax and not sweat the small stuff. I'd also say to try and make time for yourself. As moms, we tend to put everyone else first, but it's important that we take care of our needs too. 

Oh, that was a lot of fun! Did y'all learn something new about me today? I really was honored to get that note from Danielle saying she had nominated me. I'm very grateful for all that blogging has brought me and I treasure the friendships I've made. 

Okay, here are the lovely bloggers I'm nominating for the Liebster Award:

Living And Learning With Luisa  

Restoration Beauty    

Elizabeth Joan Designs

I know, I know...I only nominated three. I'm trying to find more "new" bloggers to nominate and will hopefully update this list soon. :)

My questions for them are:

1. When did you first discover the world of blogging?

2. Who inspired you the most to start a blog?

3. What's your favorite season of the year?

4. What are your favorite blogs?

5. Do you have any unique talents we need to know about?

6. Do you have any siblings, where are you in the birth order?

7. Do you have any pets? 

8. What is one place you've always wanted to visit?

9. What is your favorite dessert?

10. How many states have you lived in?

11. What is your favorite room in your house?

I'm really looking forward to reading all their responses. It'll be so much fun to get to know these ladies a little better. :)

~Lisa

Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe

Do y'all remember years ago when Oprah put Serendipity's Frozen Hot Chocolate on her "Favorite Things" list? I think their sales skyrocketed that week. :) My mom ordered some for me and we could not wait to rip open those packets, mix it up, and taste it. It was so good! My hubby decided he needed to come up with his own version of frozen hot chocolate (probably to keep me from placing order after order from Serendipity) Ha!

Here's what our version looks like...

It's so good on a hot summer day!

Here's the recipe we came up with.

One cup milk (we use skim)

One cup sugar

1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder

One cup dry instant milk

A dash of salt

Four cups ice

Blend in blender and add more ice or milk to achieve desired consistency. That's it! This makes four large servings. Sometimes we add an extract like almond or orange to individual glasses if we want to add another flavor to the chocolate. I'm personally a fan of "chocolate almond." :) I usually add about 2 teaspoons of almond extract to my glass of frozen hot chocolate. 

Speaking of drinks, while I was on the elliptical the other day, I could not stop thinking about how good frozen raspberries would be in a glass of water. So, as soon as I hopped off, I did just that.

It gave the water a nice flavor and was so refreshing! I'm trying to drink more water and something else that's helped is to add a splash of juice to my glass of water. I fill a glass just like the one above with water, then add about 1/3 cup of cranberry raspberry juice. It gives it just enough flavor to where you don't feel like you're drinking plain old water. :)

Well, that's it for now. Y'all should try that frozen hot chocolate recipe. But I'll warn you...it's addicting. :)

~Lisa

I'm joining these parties: Dwellings, Savvy Southern Style, Imparting Grace, Common Ground, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, It's Overflowing, Maria Elena's Decor, A Stroll Thru Life, Cupcakes and Crinoline, The Comforts Of Home

Household Tips

Hi everyone! How's the weather where you live? Has Spring arrived yet? I love this time of year when it's not too hot yet. 

I'm back today sharing a few household tips that I've found useful. I love reading lists of household tips. I always find new things to try and hopefully you will too. :)

First up, we have this guest bathroom that never gets used. The tub will literally go months and months without ever being used. After a while, I'll start to notice a smell in there. All I have to do is run the faucet for a minute and the smell goes away. Be sure to run both the hot AND cold water too.

A friend of mine had the same problem in her bathroom and she called a plumber. The plumber said sometimes if the tub never gets used, it can have a gas build up in the pipes and you just have to let the water run once a week for just a minute to keep that from happening. Thankfully, the plumber didn't charge her for that visit. :) I now let the water run (hot and cold) for a minute every week when I clean that bathroom.

Vinegar is good for so many things, isn't it? I was so happy when our garbage pick up started a recycling program years ago. We have a bin in the garage for recycling. Thankfully we don't have to separate things. We just put cardboard, plastic, glass, etc. in the same bin. We rinse out all the bottles and jars before placing them in the recycle bin, but sometimes you can't get all the stuff out. A few years ago, we rinsed an olive oil bottle and tossed it in the recycle bin. The next day, I was taking the bin out to the curb and the olive oil bottle rolled out of the bin. When I picked it up to put it back, I freaked out when I saw a roach INSIDE the bottle!

Eeeewwww! I guess he could detect the smell of olive oil and was attracted to it. That's when I started putting a squirt of vinegar mixed with water in every jar and bottle that goes into recycling.

The vinegar smell will deter roaches, ants, etc. from coming near the bin. I mix up a bottle with 50% vinegar and 50% water and keep it under the kitchen sink. After we rinse a bottle for recycling, I simply give it a couple of squirts of the vinegar mixture before dropping it in the recycle bin. Works like a charm and I haven't had any more critters invading the recycle bin. :)

With allergy season upon us, I wanted to include this tip about eating local honey. I've heard that eating LOCALLY produced honey can help with allergies. Here's the thing though...it has to be honey from your local area, or at least from your own state. A friend of mine swears by this. She eats about a tablespoon of local honey almost every day during allergy season and it really helps. Honey is also really good for you, but don't give it to a child age one or younger.  

Below is what we have in our pantry right now. It's from Chicota, Tx. I'm not sure where Chicota is, but at least it's in Texas. :) We've also purchased local honey from Ace Hardware and there's a coffee shop that sells local honey as well. If you look around, it's probably not too hard to find. 

My hubby seems to have a few allergies in the Spring time, so we try to stick to local honey year round. 

Here's a little laundry tip I came up with. We have two baskets in our closet. One white and one dark blue. At the end of the day, we toss our light colored clothes into the white basket and the dark colored clothes into the dark blue basket. That way, when it's time to do a load of laundry, I don't have to sort the clothes. The lights are already in the "light" basket and the darks are in the "dark" basket. 

I can't use this system for my boys though. Even though they're teenagers, I STILL have to check their pockets before I wash things. I've found everything from retainers to rocks to pens and pencils to candy, gum, you name it in their pockets. :) Since I'd have to sort through all their pockets anyway, this system wouldn't work that well in their rooms. But, my hubby is (usually) pretty good about emptying his pockets before placing items in the dirty clothes basket, so this works for our clothes. It's nice to just pick up a basket and toss everything in the washer and not have to sort everything into different color piles. :)

One more tip...if you don't dry a lot of your clothes (like me) then you could have a third basket that's labeled "do not dry" and just toss everything that you hang up to dry in there. Then you could just wash it all together and know that none of it goes in the dryer. I know I spend a lot of time setting aside things that don't get dried when transferring things from the washer to the dryer. I literally have to pick up each individual piece of clothing from the washer to the dryer to see if it's something I hang up to dry.

What are your favorite household tips? Please share in the comments. I'd love to hear them! :)

~Lisa

Morning Routines, Fake Blood, and Fortune Cookies

Okay, I'm totally laughing at that title! This post is just a mishmash of things that have been going on around here.

Do you have a morning routine? I tend to do the same thing every morning. When my alarm goes off, I get my youngest son up and make sure he's eating breakfast, then I get myself ready, check emails, Instagram, etc. Then I take my son to school.

When I get home, I feed and water the cat, open all the blinds and look at my list of things to do for the day. But before I get started on my chores, errands, etc. I take a few moments to relax with my tea and tea biscuits. :) 

Those tea biscuits are so good dunked in my tea!

I put this on Instagram the other day (you can find me @texasdecor) I'm beginning to wonder why I thought it was such a good idea to purchase all those tubes of fake blood when it was on clearance after Halloween. ;) I knew my son would have a ball with it, and he has...scaring the pants off his mother!! Lol! 

Doesn't that look real? The kits also came with stage makeup to make fake bruises with. Ugh. 

So, we tried to make homemade fortune cookies the other day. Umm...it didn't turn out so well. At least they tasted good. :)

Do y'all add extra seasonings to store bought spaghetti sauce? I was amazed at how many things I add to it to "jazz it up" a little. Below are all the extras I add.

I guess we like things spicy around here. :)

I just had to include this pic of Holly I shared on IG yesterday. Doesn't it look like she's belting out a tune? Ha!

Well, I guess that's it for now. I'll be back later in the week with a "household tips" post I've been working on. I love reading those kinds of posts, and hopefully you do too. :) 

I wish everyone a wonderful week!

~Lisa

Easter and Spring Decor 2014

Easter seemed so late this year, so I kept putting off getting out my decor. Then all of a sudden, I realized I better get it out if I wanted to have time to do a post about it. :)

So, here are tons of pics...

Last year, I used the bunny on the welcome sign for Easter, so this year I used the spring flowers.

This is on the front door.

This is the table in the foyer. 

I wasn't sure what to do with this hydrangea basket, so I just kind of stuck some eggs in there and put the little green bunny in the middle. 

Love this little moss covered bunny. I got him on clearance at Michael's a couple of years ago for next to nothing. :)

Here's a view of the whole living room. 

I got several of these wooden bunnies at HEB a few years ago and spray painted them heirloom white. 

Here's the Easter mantel. I kept messing with it while taking pics, so you might notice things are moving around quite a bit. Lol!

This little bunny with the carrots is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I picked him up at Tuesday Morning for $1.49!

Now we're in the kitchen. This buffet was fun to decorate. :) Those are fabric eggs in that wire basket on top.

Here's a close up of the fabric eggs. My grandmother gave them to me years ago.

Mr. Cable Knit Sweater Bunny is one of my favorites too. :)

This guy enjoys relaxing by the sink. 

That's a faux chocolate Easter bunny on the left. I have a ton of them, but never know what to do with them. Those are some roses from my backyard. Love that miniature vase. :)

I need to add something else to the dough bowl. Maybe more eggs?

This cute bunny is on my Newly Painted Pantry Door I put little felt stickers on the back of the bunny so he wouldn't scratch the door when it's opened a thousand times a day. :)

And that's all my Easter decor! Thanks for stopping by!

~Lisa

I'm joining these parties: Dwellings, Savvy Southern Style, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, Cupcakes and Crinoline, It's Overflowing, Imparting Grace, Common Ground, Maria Elena's Decor, A Stroll Thru Life