two more things...

1) I feel that I must confess: I have a husband who loves & adores Rap & R&B... always has, always will. His loyalties mainly lying with Jay-Z, but the gamut ranges. As for me, I have pretty consistently always loved rap & hip hop, {B is pretty much my only compadre in this area.}, but spending time with Ryan over the past 5 years has has dramatically increased this musical inclination. We jam to hip hop & rap playing pretty frequently... our house & car speakers get some major loving. This is not a fad or a trend, we've stayed pretty true over the years... I just fear our anthem will one day be ringing true with our little ones one day. I worry that our kids will be rapping in preschool & dressing like Jay Z. I have a funny time mentally segwaying certain stages of life into the next, but I know its inevitable...your life continues and they bebop right along next to you. With anything, I love that when preparing for the transition into different stages of life, it mentally seems so daunting and jarring, but life just thumps right along, the Lord prevails, you adjust, you stay inherently the same, and you keep on jamming...

On that note, I miss listening Lauryn Hill.... how great is this pic of her? We need to bring her back into my everyday beats.

P.S. no, we are not expecting. :)

{image via here.}

LL Photography

I have some pretty darn talented & creative friends... the expertise ranges anywhere from photography & set producing, to design & singing, to just flat out pure creativity in their daily lives... some of them do it as their hobbies, others get to do it as their daily profession.

It has been so neat to see one of my best friends {since 2nd grade}, Lauren {Carter} Larsen, develop her talent not only in the photography world, but also as her business & livelihood. She has a rare talent of capturing genuine emotion from her subjects and turning them into true works of art.

Her daughter, Life, is probably one of my favorite subjects for her to shoot, for very obvious reasons. And Lauren?.. she's one cute, chic little lady her self.

We talk & dream about one day me getting to work for her... that stage of life would be {will be} a blast if & when it presents itself. Until then, I get to observe her work and blog about her from a {close} far...

Check her out: LL Photography & her blog.

lemony goodness.

Its the little things that make you happy... like purposely finding ways to use lemons just so I can put them down the disposal to smell up the kitchen. Like I said, its the little things.... & these candles might help indulge my little fetish. Yummy lemon candle how-to... from miss Martha, duh.

just because...

This anonymous chick has followed me around for 6 years from various apartments & homes, and now resides in my office on my pin board... I love this image & I don't know why? I tore her out of W & still have yet to get sick of her. Every tear sheet around her seems to rotate in & out, but she stays tried & true. I think its the combo of 50's chic, lots of bling, and her confident, mischievous look... plus, she looks like she is at an exotic island, about to escape on a small aircraft, heading to some top secret undercover work. One can have an imagination right? Her scenario sounds devine right about now... Happy Wednesday!

2 things:

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite blogs, Bower Power. She has a great eye, she lives in basically a dream of a home, she's a little thrifty re-purposer, she loves a great deal, and I believe, we both have a very similar tastes & sensibility... I think we should be friends. :) I love reading her blog & ideas... this particular Goodwill post is genius. I love it and couldn't agree with her thoughts more... Thanks Katie!

On the note of re-purposing, these are the sconces I ended up with from White Elephant. They fit just perfectly & seem to balance out the entry way better... this space has been bothering me for a while & I think they finally fit the ticket swell. :)

an attempt.

fact: Mr. Frazier & I consume way too much sugar. Not a meal goes by that we don't end with dessert.{Ry, I know this is entirely my fault...}
While reading my Southern Living mag. last night, {thanks Mary} I found this Reduced-Sugar Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies recipe. I had all the ingredients on hand, & decided to spontaneously give it a whirl. I mean, I should at least try to minimize a least a bit of the sugar we intake. Hey, it couldn't hurt, right? { I made these after we had consumed a mid-day s'more snack, a whole pizza for dinner, oodles of candy, a pazookie really late the night before.... you get the idea, but hey, its the little things that count, right?}
So here is my attempt at some healthy(er) cookies... and they actually turned out pretty good. :) {I did some adapting of the recipe, but try it however you like.}
Reduced-Sugar Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies
Yield: Makes 3 dozen
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked regular oats ( I used quick oats instead bc its what I had on hand.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granular sweetener ( I used 1/2 regular sugar & 1/2 Splenda)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar sweetener
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( I always double the vanilla, heck, I don't even measure, I just generously pour.)
1 large egg
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate mini-morsels ( I used milk chocolate chips & increased it about a half a cup. Who doesn't need more chocolate?)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.
2. Whisk together flour and next 4 ingredients. Beat sugar sweeteners and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add vanilla and egg, beating until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in toasted pecans and mini-morsels.
3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
4. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and cool completely (about 20 minutes).

P.S. Don't get me wrong, I believe in real, authentic, southern, goodness, probably too often, but I had to try this lightened version for our arteries. :) However, when you eat 4 or 5 of them, I think it defeats the purpose...

Enjoy!

my fav.

I ran an errand on my lunch break today at work & ended up with few extra minutes that I happily decided to use up... so I stopped over at my most very favorite shoppe, White Elephant Antiques. {off former Industrial Blvd., now Riverside Rd. in Dallas} I adore this place & have even become very fond of the owner, Kay. You most definitely have to go in with an open mind, a keen eye, scour through some {for a lack of better word} junk, by-pass the over priced indulgent items, and dig for your treasures... but I don't & have never hidden the fact that I love a treasure hunt! The search excites me... this is where I flourish & am happiest.

You can always score a sweet deal at White Elephant, and always come out with unique, eclectic accent pieces that you don't see everywhere. This trip in particular, I stumbled across some awesome plaster wall sconces. I do have to restrain my giddiness & my checkbook when I'm in there... you definitely could walk out broke and then some... You also have to be selective, but they never disappoint.

p.s. - Don't let the word "antique" scare you... they do have their share of china, Wedgewood, and depression glass, but, their merch. ranges anywhere from mid-century modern pieces and yummy decor accessories, to international finds & funky, found objects.

{Its really fun to peruse the whole Antique Area... there are so many great dives, I just run in my favorite when I am short on time.} Enjoy!

the 'brary.

There is no denying I fully take advantage of the Public Library... that and the Public Transportation system. I feel its my own little contribution to the the environment, as well as a nice contribution to my budget.

When I am in the library, I get so overwhelmed and excited and think, "why is everyone packed in here and in on this little secret?" I will say, our library is wonderful. There are so many books on CD, an awesome DIY/craft book section, and they don't disappoint by doing a great job keeping multiple copies of the popular fiction thrillers. I can call ahead or log on, reserve my books, and they are waiting for me in the front when I arrive. If they don't have my book, they put me on a waiting list that I can keep track of my place online, plus, they call and let me know when its available to come pick up. They have all the latest DVDs that Blockbuster has to rent for free. They have "Book Club Bags," where your book club can check out a canvas tote filled with 15 copies of a book with discussion questions and topics, and they just re-did the children's reading area and it is now so creative and stimulating... I can't wait to bring kids there for story time. They also have monthly book signings & book readings by very prominent authors... and to top it all off, they are always willing to help with your book hunt at the drop of a hat.

My only downfall when it comes to the 'brary is that I cannot seem to keep track of when my books are due... and while the late fees are only a quarter, they can add up, somewhat defeating the purpose. I found this awesome little Book Calendar on Etsy. You can download it as many times as you want, print, and tack up as a little reminder. The little book worm in me squealed with delight when I saw this... love it. love it.

more summer lovin.

Speaking of summer, I am enamored with Lover's Spring 2010 lookbook...the shapes and textures make me swoon. I'll take one of each please.

{seen here.}

summer

I stumbled across these happy pictures from last summer... they make me yearn for summer so badly. Good riddance gray mugginess! I want sunshine, warmth, water, and playtime... I literally laughed out loud at some of our facial expressions. I reserve the right to withhold the majority of the {not published} photographs.

B & K.

I don't think anyone knows how to quite fully wrap their minds around the devastation, destruction, and horror of what has occurred in Haiti. A little under a month ago, my friend Katie and her husband left for Haiti to go teach and serve its people. I don't believe in coincidence... they are there for a purpose. She updates on a blog: http://www.benandkatieinhaiti.com/ ...knowing the details & events that have transpired from someone that is living in it is sobering. I urge you to follow their experience and journey. It puts faces & people with the nameless masses... we hope & pray.

she's pretty awesome... I'm obsessed. photos by David Slijper.

playground. {pt. 2}

While doing some interior research today online, I stumbled across these unbelievable indoor slides... because, you know, who doesn't need an indoor playground? It would be a smashing compliment to this indoor swing and kiddo's rooms. Every day would be like recess... yes please!

Vespa.

I flipped when I saw this little rocker baby Vespa... your kid would be the most stylin' nugget on the block. I know a certain baby who would fit very nicely on this thing to match her daddy...

{seen here.}

diy.

I am attempting to slowly, and on a budget, add colour into our kitchen... it is a bit modern for my taste. I love the materials, but the palette is a little cold. I was in Anthro getting some latte bowls on a gift card from my brother, and was torn on the purchase when saw some awesome coloured glass containers next to them. I finally opted for the bowls, & decided to save the cash & attempt them myself. I had an old carafe, mason jar, and vinegar bottle that I periodically used for bud vases laying around, so I decided to give them new life & color.

You can use any acrylic paint color you like. {I just used some colours I already had & would match some of the bowls: turquoise, red, and cream.} All you have to do is pour a large quantity of paint into the bases & sides of the container, cover with a paper towel, either shake or roll the glass until the paint covers the entire interior, and sit to dry for a few hours. {For lighter colors you might need a few coats.} Simply coating the inside creates a polished, clean look on the outside, and is easy and inexpensive.

My dream has always been to paint the cabinets white, and eventually, maybe we will, but these added some character for the time being and was a fast, temporary fix.

hearth.

The weather has been so miserably frigid around these parts, I have resorted to pulling back the hearth screen & basically submerging my toes in the fire... Senga thinks it's a pretty smart idea, too, and keeps me company. I legitimately would give my left arm to be sitting here right about now.

cocina.

I'm usually a white kitchen gal, {see here. here. here. here. here. & here.} however this kitchen seems just divine... the large oak table, the fresh floral, the vibrant colours, and the chic lounge area seem to float my boat just fine. How wonderful to slave away in the kitchen over a hot stove and then go rest for a spell in your nook?

{found here. }

twenty- ten.

Goals for 2010: {in no particular order}

* Drink more water. {benefits here.} This was on my list last year... but the goal this year is to step up the hydration. {fact: Camelback waterbottles seem to help me.}

* Be more on time to work, yet still make room to have "my mornings." Time to sit, read, sip, eat, and relax...

* Buy more fresh food, more consistently. {click here for how to do so on a budget.}

* Spend more time with Jesus & in the Word... more frequently & with anxiousness.

* Try one new recipe {at least} every other week. {and put to use my trusty cookbooks...}

* Wear my heels more often. {I sadly buy them & love them, but rarely strut them come decision time.}

* Be more intentional with others around me... a better listener. lover. and doer.

* Find a consistent time to exercise & make it count when I'm there.

* Spend & soak up more time with family whom I love dearly.

* Save. Save. Save. 2010 is the year of saving at the Frazier household. We do things economically & inexpensively, its something I actually pride myself in: our great deals, purposing, & budget shopping, but not every economic and inexpensive item is necessary. Discernment is my key this year.

* When I do buy something... only buy what I love. {not because its on sale.} Only what I find beautiful & inspiring. I once heard "never have anything in your home that you are not absolutely, positively, head- over heels in love with."

* Practice a more positive outlook on the little things and "take time to stop & smell the roses," as my grandfather always says. Soak up where I'm at be more unplanned, unscheduled, and as a follower of the plan that we cannot control...

Cheers to the new year!