One Year

I can't believe our first married year has come and gone. Monday was such a special occasion as we reflected back on the memories of our last twelve months together. I've never been one to celebrate anniversaries, dating or the like, so this was all very new to me. I now see what all the hype is about! Sure, it's just another day, but it's also a milestone...a date and point in time worth honoring. I feel so blessed that God put Zach in my life and has given us so much to be thankful for. I love you, Z! Thank you for making this the most amazing year of my life.

Zach came home (early!) from work with these beautiful blooms.

Since the first year tradition is to give "paper", I made Z a scrapbook of our first year together with pictures and memories from each month.

Zach gave me a Bible with my new name on it :). I love it so much! He did great.

How do you and your sweetie celebrate anniversaries? Any special or unique traditions??

We are headed to the doctor this afternoon for Tiny's 20 week check-up; I'll be back tomorrow with an update!

What I Wore: Anniversary Dinner

skirt:Ross, cami:Gap, belt:F21, necklace:thrifted

Because my husband is sweet, yet stubborn, he denied all picture-taking of the two of us on our anniversary :(. He did, however, agree to snap a few shots of my outfit before we headed to Texas Roadhouse for a yummy dinner and entirely too many rolls with cinnamon butter.

While I'm not feeling like getting too terribly dressed up in my pregnant state, I am loving maxi dresses and skirts. They are so comfy and allow the belly plenty of breathing room :). What is your summer staple??

Reese's Cupcakes

I'm finally back with a recipe, friends! It's only been, what, about three months? My mixer was having some serious withdrawals. Yesterday was Z and I's one year anniversary and sadly all of our wedding cake is seven hours away in our hometown. I made the executive decision that we had to have cake on our anniversary, so I made these super rich peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes hoping they'd win Zach over. I believe they did, especially considering he ate three for breakfast this morning :).

I'm sure I saw the Reese's inside a cupcake idea somewhere in the world of Pinterest, but honestly can't remember. I'm sorry if I'm not giving someone credit where it's due! It just kind of came to me while in the grocery store, so I went with it. Be prepared for sweetness overload!

To make these simple, tasty treats:

I baked regular chocolate cupcakes from a box, but you can make yours from scratch if you're a go-getter. Let the cupcakes cool, then used a knife and a melon baller to take out a small hole from the center of the cupcake.

Put a mini Reese's cup inside the hole...

and place the cake carefully back on top

The delicious frosting recipe came from an old cookbook Z found at Half Price books. It's a keeper!

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons milk

2 cups powdered sugar

 

 

Place butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar until it starts to get thick. Incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes.

(this only makes enough for about 12 cupcakes....you'll want to double the recipe if you need to frost 2 dozen)

I garnished with mini Reese's Pieces, but that's totally optional. Enjoy!

19 Weeks

Hi, y'all! Thank you so much for all your sweet words and encouragement on the previous pregnancy posts; you sure know how to make a momma (and baby!) feel special. I love hearing advice and tips from all of you, so please keep them coming!

This week was a great one yet flew by much too quickly. We saw Zach's cousin Callie and her husband Casey twice this weekend, which was a treat! We also took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Lousisiana yesterday (Swamp People, anyone?) which turned out to be a much needed little adventure. As I made Zach pull through the McDonald's drive thru at 10:45pm, I realized that we were on our fifth meal of the day (not to be mistaken for the infamous Taco Bell "fourth meal"). That's right, fifth! Tiny is really growing. Did I mention this was all after going to a storage auction yesterday morning (Storage Wars, anyone?)....guess you know Zach's favorite TV channel. Livin' the dream, people, livin' the dream.

To our sweet Baby Boy:

How quickly you have completely turned our world upside down in the most wonderful of ways. Every little kick (and there are lots of them) is a reminder of just how precious your life is and what a beautiful blessing you are. You are really craving sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast burritos these days, and Mommy is loving that you're loving them. You also like McDonalds french fries and ice cream, paired together, which is a surprisingly perfect mix of salty and sweet. I have a strong feeling you inherited Daddy's love of Mickey D's, which makes him proud. We can't wait to see your little face at our doctor's appointment on Thursday; I'll be sure and feed you a burrito beforehand so maybe we'll get a smile :).

How Far Along: 19 weeks

Baby Size: 6 inches long, 8 1/2  ounces

Total Weight Gain: 3-4 lbs.

Maternity Clothes? They aren't really necessary, but wearing some just for comfort

Stretch Marks? Nope...using my stretch mark cream every night!

Sleep: Wonderfully...9-11 hours a night

Best moment this week: Taking a spontaneous road trip to Louisiana on Saturday with my sweet husband

Miss Anything? Sleeping on my tummy :(

Movement: Lots! Every time I sit still I feel Tiny in action

Food Cravings: sweet tea, breakfast burritos, mac 'n cheese, Panda Express orange chicken

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not anymore, thank heavens

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Not yet

Belly button in or out? Still normal

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited!

Looking forward to: Our one year anniversary tomorrow and getting busy on the nursery this week :)

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

Friday Finds

I just couldn't do it anymore, ladies. Self control was officially out the window today. I have avoided the mall like the plague all week, knowing how many semi-annual sales are going on right now and the temptation that lurks through those wonderful Forever 21 doors. Finally, I gave in. And guess what? I'm SO glad I did! The sales are fabulous right now (Gap Body, Express, Bath & Body Works, and Victoria's Secret to name a few) and worth every push, shove, and extremely long line. Forever 21 is having the best sale in my opinion: all sale items are buy one, get one free. Their panties are also marked down to $1.50 each, which I took full advantage of :). The store manager told me the sale is going on through the weekend so I hope you all get a chance to venture out to your nearest mall and score a deal or two!

F21 blouse: $5

F21 dress: $5

F21 top: $3

F21 romper: $3

Yes, buy one get one free at these prices!

I also stopped by Michaels and picked up this adorable owl notebook and dear notecards for $1.50 a piece. Z and I are Michaels addicts.

Have you found any great sales/deals lately? Please share!!

Happy Friday, friends!

Five Things

Things have been pretty quiet and rainy around here this week, which Baby and I are thoroughly enjoying. We're catching up on crafts (Mom and I busted out the sewing maching last weekend), watching entirely too many Real Housewives episodes, and even baking cookies! Yes, the sweet tooth is making a comeback. Reunited and it feels so good.

quite possibly the best purchase I've ever made...smells sweet and is so creamy on my skin (plus, hopefully it'll keep those lovely little stretch marks away!)

fabric from Hobby Lobby waiting to be sewn into burp cloths for Tiny

a (temporarily) full candy jar

new "diaper bag" Z sweetly insisted we purchase (after he saw "the look" in my eye)

It isn't officially a diaper bag, but it's the perfect sized satchel for Baby and I to venture out in style :)

Zach's favorite birthday present...and I kind of love it too. We like to get up on Saturday morning, cook bacon and pancakes, and dance around the kitchen to Marty Robbin's "El Paso".

What are you loving this week?

Trash To Treasure

What's the point in blogging if you can't husband-brag a little, right ladies? I think we can all agree on that. This one's for you, Z :)

A couple days ago, my hard-working husband got up early to get busy in the yard. We had two trees on both sides of our front door that were blocking our house number and we needed a solution. Zach's idea, naturally, was to uproot them. So that's exactly what he did...all by himself. He tore up three shovels and a hoe in the process, but it was well worth it. We now have two (much smaller!) hibiscus plants in place of the trees that look beautiful and don't cover up our house. Way to go, Mr. Fullwood!

But wait for it, I'm not done bragging just yet :). I went on a twenty minute walk yesterday and came home to find this little lamp, made 100% by my crafty husband.

If that isn't repurposing at it's best, I don't know what is.

Did I mention that he cooks too? Okay, okay, I'm done. Love you Zach!

18 Weeks

Hi, y'all! This week was amazing in so many ways....Zach's first Father's Day, seeing my sweet family this weekend, taking long strolls around the lakes near our house, and finishing up Tiny's ducky-themed bathroom (pictures coming soon!). Thank you, Mom, Dad, and Ryrie, for coming down and making our Father's Day weekend so wonderful. Sharing this special time in our lives with the people we love makes us feel incredibly blessed to be bringing a sweet baby into our family. He will surely be loved beyond measure.

To our Baby Boy:

Mommy thanks you immensely for letting morning (and afternoon, and night...) sickness be a thing of the past. We can't believe how much you're beginning to grow and move around in there; you little dancer, you. Daddy and I stay up into the night talking about what color eyes you'll have, what kind of sports you'll like to play, and how we want to give you the world. Oh, and Dad hopes you're not a midget. But don't worry, Mommy will love you regardless. It's hard to believe you'll be here in just over four months! You already have three Santa outfits hanging in your closet just waiting to be worn by your tiny little self. What a perfect holiday season this will be for our new family of three.

How Far Along: 18 weeks, 1 day :)

Baby Size: 5 1/2 inches long, 7 ounces

Total Weight Gain: 2 lbs.

Maternity Clothes? Not yet

Stretch Marks? Nope but keepin' the belly lotioned up just in case!

Sleep: Ohhhhh yes. Better, and more, than I ever remember sleeping before.

Best moment this week: Seeing my parents and little brother this weekend...we had so much fun! Love you guys. Oh and thanks for taking us to Rudy's.....twice :).

Miss Anything? Lying comfortably on my back or stomach. It's pretty much all about the sides now, which is new for me.

Movement: Yes! Z and I saw Rock of Ages on Saturday and Tiny kicked throughout the movie. Seriously, when "Don't Stop Believin'" came on, he was like a little ninja. Hey, at least the kid knows good music. It was the first time we could actually feel movement on the outside of my tummy, too. Zach loved feeling his baby boy for the first time.

Food Cravings: BBQ, sweet tea, hot dogs, Sour Punch Straws.....basically all the things I shouldn't be eating.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Thank goodness, no! All that has pretty much passed. I haven't had morning sickness in almost a week and can keep all my meals down now. It's wonderful!

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Not even close

Belly button in or out? Still normal, but Zach thinks it's an outie in the making. He likes to tease me about it.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Feeling very happy and blessed

Looking forward to: Our 20 week appointment next week and hopefully seeing Tiny via sonogram!

DIY Father's Day Goodies

Hi friends!! Z and I are so excited for my family to arrive this evening and spend the next couple of days here in H-town with us. Good eats and good laughs are surely in store for the weekend.

I had already bought Father's Day gifts for my dad and Zach, but started thinking that I'd like to do something a little more personal (yet simple) to show them my appreciation for all they do. When I stumbled across this printable on Pinterest, I knew it'd be perfect for Zach. He loves Reese's Pieces :)

I bought a 50 cent Tazo Tea from Wal Mart and filled it with candy. Then I used a hole punch and ribbon to tie the printable around the bottle and voila! A cute little candy treat.

My Dad, strangely enough, doesn't like Reese's Pieces. I call him "Pops" (and so will Tiny!), so it seemed fitting to give him a sucker jar full of Tootsie and Blow Pops. I found the jar at Dollar Tree and whipped up a little tag to tie on...ta da! All ready to devour.

If you're searching for last minute Father's Day ideas, maybe this has given you a little inspiration. Hopefully I won't eat all these suckers before my parents get here tonight :)

Happy weekend, y'all!

DIY Baby Closet Dividers

About a week ago, I spotted this on Pinterest and knew I wanted to do something similar for our baby boy's closet. He's starting to get quite the little collection of clothes and some organization was needed. A trip to Hobby Lobby and one hour later, closet dividers were born!
hangers came from The Container Store and I simply tied a red ribbon around each one for some added flair :)

You'll need: Mod Podge, number stickers (two of each number, ie two 0's, two 3's, etc.), wooden letter O's (found mine at Hobby Lobby for 50 cents a piece!), scissors, pencil, and scrapbook paper

trace an 'O' on the back of scrapbook paper

cut out 'O' shape

apply Mod Podge to wooden letter

lay paper onto wooden letter and apply a thin layer of Mod Podge

lay 'O's out to dry, then flip them over and do the same process on the other side

when both sides have dried, stick on numbers (one on each side of 'O')

put the dividers on your baby's closet rod and enjoy the new organization!

Do you have any other helpful tips for baby organization? What to do with all the diapers we're loading up on? I would love to hear your methods!