{help} our truck is stuck!

Nearly 36 hours of rain and Matt's truck gets stuck in the mud 2 blocks away from our house...this is after he's worked 12 hours today.

Thankfully we've got AAA and the tow truck arrived. Milly and I are waiting in the car as the tow truck driver figures out what the hell he's going to do! Apparently he can't find where to attach the tow...fabulous. Good thing Matt is a {project manager} and has got this covered! Hehehe

Seriously, we can't catch a break with our automobiles lately! So much for a quiet night at home...but really, what fun would that be anyway?!!

For better or Fort Worth, right? Keep y'all posted for this muddy ride :-)
-j {&matt&milly}

our big announcement

Nope, not engaged and not pregnant.  This announcement may be just as fantastic though! (at least in my opinion)...

Since moving to Fort Worth, Matt & I (or sometimes just me) make a weekly to the laundromat...or the {lavanderia} as they say in Texas because really, English is a second language here :-) 

We tried out 3 different laundromats all within less than 1 mile from our house.  The 3rd one we found was our favorite, as far as laundromats go! A few things I've learned in my hours spent at the public laundry room that I will pass along as tips to {fellow and future} laundromat goers...

1. Always sort your laundry before going to the laundromat.  This cuts down on time spent in the facility as well as decreases the chance of humiliation when inappropriate garments fall onto the floor. 

2. Most dryers cost $0.25 for 8 minutes.  Unless you're drying those lacy undergarments, nearly nothing will dry completely in 8 minutes.  So my suggestion? Put in 4 quarters or $1 from the get-go because most items will dry completely in 32 minutes and then you don't have to keep going back and checking every 8 minutes. Efficiency at its finest :-) 

3. Match all socks before leaving the laundromat! That way you'll know if you've lost one and can look for it hiding out in a washer or dryer.

4. Put away your clean clothes immediately upon returning home! Otherwise your laundry hamper has become your closet that you dig through on a daily basis... I know this from {first-hand} experience. 

Laundromats are great facilities when you have lots of laundry, big items (think comforters, quilts, etc.) or a short amount of time.  I've been able to do 7 loads of laundry within 2 hours. 

However they can cost you upwards of $20 each time! 

Purchasing a washer and dryer has been on Matt & my minds' since move-in day...but we understood that this is a big buy. Hence, it was not a top priority since several laundromats were near and other expenses came first! Nevertheless, we were always looking for good deals and comparing different models. 

Fast forward less than 2 weeks ago: Matt realizes a great rewards opportunity through his credit card company.  He can redeem his reward points for...wait.for.it...$1,125 in Home Depot gift cards! O.M.G. I mean, y'all know how much we {love, love, love} Home Depot.  We frequent this establishment on a weekly basis, at the very least!

So we ordered the gift cards and waited...They arrived and on this past Friday, I ordered the most beautiful {Maytag Performance Series} front-loader washer and dryer in a color described as {granite}

Delivery was today!! (thus the reason why Heather and I painted the laundry room yesterday)

{yesterday}

{today}

Milly isn't sure how she feels about these new machines in her house...especially when they are in her direct path to the backyard.

Of course, this process didn't go without a few hiccups!  

• We still had to pay $701, but that's a whole lot better than paying $1800.  
• Home Depot was sold out {both online and in stores} of the stacking kit we needed.  Thankfully, Amazon had it.  Thankfully, my brother {Brian} has Amazon Prime so it arrived yesterday evening.  
• And when the delivery men arrived and checked out the laundry room, I learned that the machine outlet is lower than standard code requires and the cord may not reach. Thankfully, it did reach!
• The other outlet that would have hidden the cords behind the machines was taken out by a previous owner, so there's a cord running from the machine to the side wall. Oh well! It reaches and it works!!

SO!!! We're pretty freaking {pumped} about the newest additions to our home! And wasn't that a pretty good story with an awesome deal?! Matt & I are looking forward to doing laundry at our my leisure.  

And as Matt said: "The LaundroMatt is now open!" Bahahahaha, see guys, he can be funny!!

fbofw, 

-j

a {personal} shout-out

My {Aunt Cissie's birthday} was this past Friday.  Matt & I {& Milly too} sent her emails full of birthday wishes!  We received a super sweet response on Sunday afternoon :-) and it really made us smile!

As this is my first experience with blogging, I wasn't sure how many people would actually read, much less care, about what I had to share.  Needless to say, my family is an outpouring of devoted followers! ...as well as Matt's hair stylist {Diana} :-) y'alls support mean SO much to Matt & me as I share our journey into the blogosphere and wreathing industry! So we're thankful for you! 

In {Aunt Cissie's} response, she referenced so many different bits and pieces from blog posts and it truly warmed my heart! One birthday package my aunt received was from my godmother {Aunt Kathy} with a bag of her famous {scramble} and... a mason jar filled with coffee beans & Tahitian vanilla tea lights!! As if that isn't devotion enough, {Aunt Cissie} prints each blog post to share mail with my {Aunt Kathy} Wow, I am so lucky!!

{aunt cissie} & me

{Aunt Cissie} also mentioned that she was headed to the grocery store and would be looking for {Blue Bell} ice cream!! My personal shout-out (or question): Did you find it? And if so, what flavor did you get!? 

I picked up a pint of the {cherry vanilla} last night, and it reminds me of a flavor Grandma & Grandpa Chao would have had in their freezer :-) 

Much love to my supportive & devoted audience! Blogging wouldn't be nearly as fun and enjoyable without y'all! Thank you for making it that much better. 

-j

there is always time

Milly May believes in the old saying: take time to smell the roses... Or in this case, the pansies :-)

photos from our day

Milly sunbathed this morning while I worked on more wreaths.

Auntie Heather came over to help paint the laundry room...wonder why? {you should check back tomorrow!}

And Milly May spent time in the living room waiting on the mail lady.

Matt helped me make breakfast for dinner {one of our favorites!} on the griddle. We had cinnamon pancakes, bacon, eggs and cheesy grits!

Now cuddling up as a family to watch the season premiere of {How I Met Your Mother} It's going to be...legen-wait.for.it-dary!!!

All in a day's work! We have a good life :-) hope y'alls Mondays were fabulous!

Check back tomorrow for the exciting announcement!...it's a pretty fabulous story.

-j

What I'm Loving {2}

It's been a while since my first {What I'm Loving} post and there are several things with which I am having a love affair! (or at least a great friendship)

1. My PetsPerk card at PetSmart. We really are saving so much money because of this!  On our first trip here with {Milly May} we saved $17! Woo!! She got groomed there for the first time yesterday.  Guess how much that cost me? Oh $10.99 :-) 

2. My Kroger card. The best part about the Kroger card...well there are many...but every time you make a purchase it tells you how much you've saved! So gratifying!!! And then there is also the {fuel savings} that build with each purchase.  Kroger is teamed up with Shell and depending how many fuel points you've accumulated, you save a certain amount per gallon.  The other day I saved $0.27 on every gallon. Pretty cool!

3. Blue Bell ice cream...oh. my. goodness. Where have you been my whole life!? In Texas, of course. It is {hands down} the best ice cream I've ever eaten! There are 66 flavors of ice cream.  Matt & I have been buying the pints and trying all the flavors. Oh, hello diabetes!? My current favorite is {Pecan Pralines 'n Cream} and Matt's is {Rocky Road!} 

Apologies to my midwestern family members because it isn't sold in your local grocery stores.  Guess you'll just have to visit us now to experience this delectable treat! {Fist pump!} And to my southern family members, what's your favorite flavor?

4. Bath & Body Works new scent: {Autumn Day}. Stopped in B&BW to kill some time before an appointment and found this gem! Seriously, so amazing. I bought the 3-wick candle and am so happy I did because we've almost burned through it! Originally $19.50, they have a great deal: 2 for $20. To purchase, click here!

photo from bathandbodyworks.com

5. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but the god-awful reality show {Here Comes Honey Boo Boo} on TLC.  We stumbled upon it one night last week and were so entertained! The background of the show: Alana (a.k.a. Honey Boo) is a pageant child from rural Georgia.  Her mama is June who could probably have her own show because she is so outlandish! She has 3 sisters: Chickadee, Chubbs and Pumpkin.  And her dad: Sugar Bear. Oh and their pet pig: Glitzy. Seriously this family is so country and so wrong, but that's what makes it so good.  Their motto: You'd better redneckanize! 

photo from google.com

6. And to redeem myself, the amazing series {Breaking Bad} on AMC.  It was recommended by my friend {Alix} and once Matt & I got settled into our house, we started watching the series.  It took us less than 1 month to finish 4 seasons.  It just finished its 5th season, so we're in the process of watching that.  The background: Walt, a high school chemistry teacher gets cancer and his family needs money, so he starts making meth.  Of course, it is the best meth around and Walt can't seem to stay out of trouble. So freaking good!!

confessional

Remember my post about Texas being way hotter than Missouri? So hot, in fact, that my rearview mirror fell off...

Well after Matt replaced the mirror, I did something I swore I'd never do... Something I used to poke fun about and roll my eyes at the insanity...

I got a sun visor for my car!!! Pretty embarrassing, I admit.  However...I must also admit that these things really work! They were advertised to keep your car 40 degrees cooler than without it.

So my apologies to all the people I've laughed at who have ever used a sun visor. They still make me laugh, but y'all are smart and now {I am one of you!}

At least it's not an Ed Hardy sun visor...

-j

{that} dog mom

It's no secret. I love my pup and admit to being slightly (okay, majorly) obsessed with her!

My phone's camera roll is ALL {Milly May} or {Milly May & Matt}
I take videos of her because I don't want to forget her silly pupperoo ways.
We let her explore puddles and dig holes - {YOLO - you only live once} so we don't mind a little dirt!
Our lives kind of revolve around her. Case in point: I'm waiting to go to the gym today while she is getting groomed.
We do a {weekly weigh-in} and record it on the chalkboard...
Milly May still gets carried...and I mean, as long as we can, we will!


These are just few reasons regarding how I have become {that} dog mom.

So, obviously I need to give a full Milly update.
We had our first vet visit last Thursday and traveled all the way to Weatherford, TX for the appointment.  Dr. Jarrett came highly recommended and is involved with the West Side Animal League...so 40 minutes we drove and we'll probably drive it again :-)

Very exciting fact we learned at Dr. Jarrett's office: Milly may have {some} Great Pyrenees in her, but she is mostly {Anatolian Shepherd} - what does this mean? That she's going to be huge! So we've named her "breed" as Great Anatolinese Shepherd...naturally.

Milly May is learning {fetch} and yes, we're very excited about this!

She is getting better at the stairs, but by no means is an expert yet...

And of course, some recent pictures from the iPhone...

look how big {Milly} is compared to her favorite rug!

daddy's little girl still?!

this is how she lounges...

So yes, I am THAT dog mom. And yes, I think Milly May is {practically perfect in every way}...but isn't that what every mama is supposed to think!? :-)

-j

P.S. coming later today are actual updates on house projects and what {Matt & I} have been doing! 

the dirty {thirty}

Our pupperoo, Milly May, is growing up...really fast!! She weighed in today at 31 pounds. That's a whopping 4.5 pounds gained since last week's weigh-in! Not only is Milly's weight increasing, but so is her height. Matt & I are going to have a big ol' pup!!

{craft day}

I made a Halloween wreath today for our home - a bit in advance, I'm aware! Details to come, but wanted to share the final product :-)

-j

{ruff life}

Poor Milly May! She's worn out from growing so much :-) could she be any cuter?!! True life: I'm a {dog mom}

deep in the {HEAT} of texas

As we painted late into Wednesday night, Matt & I felt {warmer} - was it us or was something broken?

I woke up in the middle of the night to Milly panting and laying against the door.  As for me, I was on top of my covers and well...sweaty.  I told Matt that we were going to downstairs and I was pretty sure the AC wasn't working properly - what I didn't know was that Matt sleeps like a {bear} during hibernation in extreme heat and didn't hear me.  Lo and behold a few hours later, Matt comes stumbling into the guest room where Milly and I are {trying} to sleep...

{M} I think the AC isn't working.
{J} I told you that 3 hours ago.

After a very restless night, we spent all of Thursday in our knickers with an electric fan pointed at us while we caught up on {Keeping Up with the Kardashians} and waited for any updates regarding the broken AC. 

Quick side note: this has now become one of Matt's favorite shows and since Thursday, I have caught him watching it on his own at least 3 times. Oh! And what movie did he want to get at RedBox?... The Lucky One, starring Zac Efron.

For your safety, there are no pictures of Matt or me on this very hot day.  However, Milly was wearing her {fur coat} per usual and therefore needed to come up with creative ways to stay cool... 

Look at that {spotted} belly!

In addition to these clever positions, Milly also found that the quickest way to {cool off} is by stepping into your water bowl...now one of her favorite activities :-) 

Late into the afternoon, a maintenance man finally arrived! And Matt & I were fully clothed.  Yes, he agreed that the AC was {in fact} broken. {Duh!} This visit alone would cost our landlady $60 and another $8,500 to be replaced. 

So what'd our landlady do? Told the maintenance man she'd think about it! Think about it!??? Are you kidding me!? Excuse me, Landlady, I'm sitting here in nothing but my skivvies sweating to death!

She called back within the hour {but I swear it felt like eternity} and said "thanks for the quote and letting me know what needs to be done...my husband's friend can do it for half that price." BAM! Guess it pays to have friends in the business...or should I say {guess it saves!}

We cooled off at Matt's sister, {Heather's} house before spending the night at {Sarah & Justin's} house.  Matt & I are so thankful for close family and dear friends...& I think Milly is pretty appreciative, too.

Hanging with cousin {Connor}

Ah, sweet sleepin' with AC!

Milly's Weight: 26.5 pounds {as of 9/9/2012} That's a whopping 3.5 pound weight gain in 8 days... 

Back to the AC: installation began early Friday morning and lasted until 4pm. We are back in action with a new {energy efficient} unit and it feels so nice! Staying cool & saving the planet :-) 

-j

{house projects}

Matt & I had a {Skype date} with my parents on Sunday night.  We also got to see and talk with my 3 St. Louis siblings.  It was so wonderful and long overdue!!

Before saying good night, my brother {Brian} informed me that I hadn't posted anything new on FBOFW for 6 days...now 8 days! Quite a bit happened in the last two weeks down here in {cowtown} so here's a recap and then we'll get to the fun stuff :-)

Matt replaced the {old and rickety} ceiling light and fan with a brand new from {Home Depot} that we got for a great deal!

Old and rickety: shakes when the fan is on and sounds like it could fall onto you while sleeping...

In order to ensure that the new fan would not come barreling towards us, Matt shimmied his way through the {small} {very hot} and {dark} attic to tightly secure the support.

{Milly} was being super helpful!

TADA!! {Hampton Bay ceiling fan for $69.97}

Not only does it work, but it works WELL!!! We have now moved the master bedroom upstairs :-)

We* also got to hanging artwork in the living room, which was a bit of a challenge since the walls are plaster...but {good news} if you have plaster walls because we have found the solution: Hillman Sharkie wall anchors available at Home Depot. *I use the term "we" loosely because it's mostly Matt doing the work & me monitoring the situation.

Perfectly level...this is where I got called a {smart ass}

Not bad, right!?

Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, Matt & I decided it was time to tackle the {puke green} kitchen walls...this included everything from taping off and dusting to moving appliances and wiping down to finally {painting}!!

{before}

{after}

Next up: the dining nook and then the den! But before I sign off on this post... 

{Milly} in the monkey grass

Upcoming stories: Our broken AC, Milly {the escape artist} and Milly digs!  

-j

{Banana Nut French Toast}

My very first trip to Fort Worth was the second to last weekend of August 2011.  Matt took me to {Lucile's Stateside Bistro} for brunch that Saturday. We drank bloody mary's and feasted on cheese grits, breakfast pizza, bacon and...the {original} banana nut french toast!

I say {original} because following this meal, Matt & I were convinced that we could replicate this dish. And we had big plans to do just that!

It was Matt's turn next to make the trip to visit me in St. Louis, and we got lucky because it landed on Labor Day Weekend.  Between those two weeks, we did our research & raked through many different banana nut bread recipes.  We finally deemed one usable (of course, with a few adaptations of our own)... Matt e-mailed me the ingredient list and printed off the recipe.  We were prepared for Saturday's brunch, and it was {delicious!!!}

{red, white and blue banana nut french toast}

We've returned to {Lucile's} several more times over the past year. Occasionally I felt adventurous and ordered something else like the dutch baby pancake or wood roasted frittata...but nothing compares to the Lucile's banana nut french toast! 

My parents gave Matt a griddle for Christmas, but as of last week, we still had yet to use it...

Meanwhile... our friends, {Sloane & Mark}, invited us to join them at the lake this weekend.  Four couples were going so each couple signed up for a meal... Should we grill? How about salmon? One of my dad's chicken dishes?

Uh, no. It was {Labor Day Weekend!} so obviously that meant banana nut french toast :-) We made two loaves of bread - one banana nut and the other banana nut chocolate chip. 'Twas delicious!!  

Here's the recipe (adapted from Food Network Kitchens).  It is super easy and doesn't take too long.

1 1/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine salt
2 large eggs at room temp.
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3 {very} ripe banana - the riper, the better...for mushing purposes only.
1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
And if you so desire, {mini chocolate chips} - as much as you want!

Sift flour, baking & salt into medium bowl. {Now set that aside}
Whisk eggs and vanilla together in measuring cup. {Set that aside too}
Lightly grease a 9"x5"x3" loaf pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit {or 176.667 degrees celsius}

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy with hand-held mixer. 
Gradually pour egg mixture into butter while mixing.
Add bananas. {Finished with the mixer now}

With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture and fold in nuts {& chocolate chips!}
Transfer batter to prepared pan. 
Bake for 55 minutes. {This is the perfect amount of time to watch an episode of "Breaking Bad"}
Cool bread for 5 minutes and then {feast!!! or make french toast with it...}

Matt & I suggest baking the bread the night before if you plan to use it for french toast :-)

Who bakes the banana nut bread? 
A) Jenny
B) Matt
C) Milly May
D) All of the above

Ding ding ding! The answer is B) Matt.  I just manage the kitchen and then eat it all up! 

Almost finished, but I couldn't publish a post without sharing some photos from the weekend...

{Milly May} gets to come along!

{Milly & Matt} on the dock

Hold me daddy! -{Milly}

{Mommy & Milly}

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! Thanks again to {Sloane & Mark} for hosting this family of 3 at the lake :-) we had so much fun!

-j

And now {STARRING}...

We have officially grown!! Matt & I are so excited to announce the addition of our newest family member: {Milly May!}

Here are the details:

• We adopted her from an amazing rescue shelter - West Side Animal League.  Apparently she was surrendered by her first owner and lived with a foster family for 1 week.
• She is a {Great Pyrenees} mix - we think maybe she has some retriever or lab.  Any insight?
• Her birthday is June 1, 2012 - making her a 3 months old.
• Milly weighed a whopping 23 pounds as of September 1, 2012.
• Apparently she'll be a small {pony} when full grown - estimated to weigh anywhere from 60-100 pounds.
• We are already feeding her 2 cups of food twice daily.
• She loves treats!
• We are obsessed and absolutely {in love} with her! 

A quick little {tid-bit} about her name:

• Originally named "Aiyanna" which means eternal blossom...{yikes!}
• We didn't think that fit such a spunky little pupperoo...
• Milly is short for Mildred which is what my college roommates called me.
• May is after Matt which is what my family calls him after his name was autocorrected to "May" in a group text message.
• And obviously she needed a double name because Milly May is a southern belle!...and because she is a huge {University of Georgia} fan!!!

Welcome to your forever home, Milly May! We love you!

More details to come later...but right now, this {family of 3} is headed to the lake!!!

-j