Nail Colors for Fall

I have a serious nail polish obsession. Specifically Essie. I probably own at least 80 just from that brand, not to mention my ones from other brands. What can I say? It's my thing :)

I change my nail color all the time. At least once a week. My friends and I even used to have weekly "nail night" where we would, you guessed it, paint our nails. With fall fast approaching, I thought I'd pick some of my favorites for the season. Some colors are new and some are pretty old, but I still wear them year after year. They never go out of style! And of course, they're all my beloved Essie.

              The cast of characters.

 Little Brown Dress. A perfect chocolate brown. 

Vested Interest. A Fall 2013 color that I love! A dark slate teal. 

Wicked. And oldie but a goodie. A perfect oxblood color.

Very Structured. A burnt orange. Love it!

And clearly Harper's choice...

Smokin' Hot. Grayish purple. So pretty.

Head Mistress. A beautiful dark cherry red that's perfect for fall!

These are the colors I'm loving for fall this year. What are some of your favorite fall colors?

Fall Wish List

Next week starts the beginning of September, which to me equals the beginning of fall. I know here in Alabama it will probably still feel like the middle of summer but I won't let it crush my fall-loving dreams. Of course Im starting to plan my wish list for the season which is even more fun now that I get to also make a list for Harper! I hope she loves fall and holidays as much as her mama. Nothing thrills my soul more than a pumpkin spice latte in my hand, fringe boots on my feet and dark polish on my nails.

Here's a few of the things that  are making our list this year:

Moccasins for mama and baby | Happy Camper pullover | B&BW candles | Green tunic | Essie fall collection | Alabama jersey | Baby Gap clothes

A Summer Favorite: Fried Okra

Has anyone else been super excited about the weather the past couple days? Been feeling very fall-ish around here! But before I start pulling out my boots and hoodies, there is still technically another month of summer left to go. So tonight I made one of my favorite summer dishes for supper. Fried okra.

 My granny and mama have been making this for me all my life and now I make it for my family. It's really easy and sooooo good. I even make a few variations including my husband's favorite, what he calls "okra jubilee" which has okra, squash, and green tomatoes. Mmmmm. 

But tonight it's just plain ole okra. 

The first thing you need is okra. Duh. Wash them in a strainer and then cut the tops off with a knife and then just cut them up into small pieces and drop em in a bowl as you go. 

Then get a big gallon size Baggie and dump all the pieces in. I guess you could just skip the bowl altogether if you wanted to, and just cut your pieces right into the Baggie. But sometimes you spill some and make a mess so a bowl will catch any runaways. (My mama and granny don't use a Baggie, I just think its easier. But either way is fine).

Then dump in a couple scoops of corn meal. Some people use flour. We use corn meal. I also add some salt and pepper. Then just shake up the bag to evenly coat all the okra. 

Now heat up a skillet (preferably cast iron) and add about a half inch of oil. I use Wesson Oil and White Lily corn meal because that's what Granny uses. 

Once the oil is hot, add in the okra. I use a slotted spoon to scoop it out of the Baggie so I don't add too much extra corn meal. Don't mess with it too much at first or it will get mushy. Just let it be for a couple minutes until you see it start to brown and then give it a toss. After its golden brown and smells like heaven, you need to have plate with a few paper towels and your slotted spoon ready because it will burn quick. 

Scoop it out onto the paper towels to let it drain. At this point, while its still really hot, I like to sprinkle on a little more salt.

 While it drains I usually take my pan outside, dump out the grease, rinse it with a little cool water and then put it back in the stove on low. Once it's dry and warm, I'll put the okra back in to keep it warm until the rest of supper is ready. Plus it kind of crisps it up a little extra. Then it's ready to eat! 

This is one of my family's favorite summer dishes and its especially good if the okra is right out of the garden. I can remember being at my grandparents house when I was a kid and seeing Granddaddy bring in a huge basket of okra, tomatoes, squash, corn and peas from his garden and then Granny would cook it all up supper. Sometimes the simplest meals are the most delicious!

Harper's 6 month pics

I haven't gotten any professional pictures of Harper yet (I want to soon though) so this week I took a few myself for her 6 months. My mom helped me and took a few herself. We went to my parents house because they have a lot of land that would make the perfect backdrop for my summer themed ideas. Harper did such a good job and didn't fuss at all! These are a few of my favorite shots:

I love them all so much! I have to order a canvas of at least one I think. I was pretty happy with how they turned out for just taking them myself. I definitely want to get some professional ones made for fall and Christmas but I jjust had to share these sweet summer pics of my babe! 

Our week

This week is "Handy Week" here in Florence which is definitely one of the best weeks of the year to us locals. This year has been a little different for us though since Harper is here. We've just had to do more day things and not go out as late. Which these days is fine with us since we go to bed a lot earlier than we used to. It's been so much fun taking Harper to her first Handy events! 

We started the week by walking in the Handy 5k. We only did the 1 mile fun run though because it was miserably hot, even at 8:30 in the morning. Harper sat in her stroller and ate some mangos while we sweated it out in the blazing sun. She even wore her sunglasses for the occasion! 

We also went to dinner, and heard some great bands and are planning on taking her to the parade on Saturday that closes out the events. Also this week I have started sorting through all of Harper's clothes for fall and winter. I wanted to see what we have and what we still need, but mostly I'm just beyond excited for fall and was wanting a little preview of her adorable wardrobe! Last year when i was still pregnant, I got her the cutest poncho on sale at JC Penny's so I had to try it on her to see if it was going to fit for fall. 

I can't wait to see this sweet little nugget in her poncho, leggings and moccasin booties playing in the leaves in a few months! Fall is most definitely my favorite season and I'm sure I will blog about it probably a million times. Until then I'm trying to stay in the summer spirit and not get too far ahead of myself! Maybe a trip to the drive-in or the splash pad is in order :)

Hospital Bag Must-Haves

I remember when I was pregnant and getting close to the end, I started thinking about what I was supposed to bring to the hospital. Being my first baby obviously I had no experience and no clue about what all I would need. Then I read some stuff on Pinterest (of course) and saw that some hospitals provide this or that and some don't. A few blogs warned me to over pack and a few said to absolutely under pack. So that was helpful. In the end I took way more than I needed and will definitely know better for next time. Trust me, when you're leaving the hospital with your brand new baby, a huge carseat, and about 5 giant flower arrangements the last thing you want is to do is wag around a load of luggage big enough to last a week at the beach. So, here is a list of the things you really, truly need to bring. I'll also list the stuff to forget about, most of which the hospital will give you anyway.

1. The essentials: After a long day (or days) of being in labor/giving birth, that first shower feels like pure heaven. Bring your own shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face soap, and deodorant. The hospital will have that generic bar soap wrapped in paper like hotels have but you will probably want your own.

2. The other essentials: Toothbrush and toothpaste, for obvious reasons, and your makeup. You may not feel like getting glammed up right after pushing out a human being, but there will be pictures and lots of them, so a few swipes of mascara and a dash of lip gloss won't hurt. You'll be glad you did it when you see all those pics.

3. Carter's one-piece pj's: Don't bring a hundred outfits for your baby. For the first day they will probably just wear a diaper and the little shirt/blanket/hat combo that the hospital provides. After that you really just want them to be in something comfy. These pj's are the way to go. Save the frills for the "going home outfit" if you want to.

4. Camera, phone, and chargers: In todays world social media rules, so make sure you stay charged and take a lot of pictures. Not only for your news feeds but also for yourself. Those early days go by in a blur and you'll want to look back and remember just how tiny that little bundle really was!

5. Snacks: You cannot eat while you're in labor, so after you get the green light you want to feast! And that hospital food isn't anything to brag about. Pack some of your favorite drinks and snacks so you can gorge yourself ASAP.

6. Comfy clothes for Mama: I pretty much stayed in my hospital gown and yoga pants the whole 3 days I was in the hospital. I kept the gown on just because it was so easy to nurse in. You could pack a pj set but I'm just not that into long sleeves when I sleep. Bring some comfy slippers or flip flops or something like that to walk around in. They will want you to walk a little bit everyday so you don't get blood clots. Plus, your feet will be swollen and may not fit into any real shoes. 

7. A notebook: People will most likely be popping in to visit you and may bring gifts. A notebook will make it easy to write down who brought what so you can write thank-you notes later. Also you can keep up with your baby's feedings and diaper changes. The nurses will want you to do this anyway to make sure the baby is digestive system is working correctly. 

Things the hospital provided: Diapers, wipes, maxi pads, blankets, hats, paci's, nipple cream, breast pump, bottles (if you're planning on formula feeding), baby shampoo and lotion. I'm sure I'm forgetting something else here.

Hopefully this post will be helpful to some of you expectant and future expectant moms out there! Here's some pics of the day sweet little Harper was born :)

Harper is 6 months!

I can't believe my little baby is half a year old! It seriously feels like I brought her home yesterday. She is such a good baby and her little personality is really starting to show as she's getting older. So much has changed from month 5 to now. She sits up by herself, eats solid foods and drinks from a sippy cup. She also growls when she wants something. (Can we say diva?) Also, yesterday I went through her closet and replaced most of her 3-6 stuff with 6-9. While it makes me a little sad to see all her tiny stuff get packed away, it also makes me really excited for all the cute new stuff that takes its place! Her tiny feet are still in the same newborn/size 1 shoe she's worn since birth, so no new shoes have made an appearance yet. (Im holding out for baby Uggs, and Minnetonka moccasins for fall anyway)

                          Tommee Tippee sippy cup, Sophie the Giraffe, Swimways baby float, Octoplush , Plum Organics pouches, Graco highchair



Our 6 month favorites are:

Tommee Tippee sippy cups: I seriously can't believe she's old enough for these. She never took a bottle (just breastfed) so she didn't really get the concept of the beginner cups, which are more like a bottle, so I went ahead and gave her the stage 2 cup, which sips for like a regular sippy cup. I can already tell I need to buy more of these because I feel like I'm constantly washing them!
Sophie the Giraffe: I LOVE THIS TOY! She has had this since birth and it is great for so many stages. At first she'd just swat at it, then grab it, then grab it and put it in her mouth and now she's squeaking it herself and chewing all over it. Great for teething and she can hold it herself!
Swimways baby float: I got this for our beach trip last month and it was perfect! She can sit up in it and play and I know she won't get sunburned because of the canopy. Plus it collapses down and stores easy.
Baby Einstein Octoplush: Another toy she's had forever. She never gets tired of it though! It plays a few songs and teaches color and you can also play it in Spanish and French.
Plum Organics pouches: I make all of her food myself when she eats at home but for on the go these things are great! They don't take too much space in my diaper bag and I like the fact that they are just the fruit or veg, and water. No additives.
Graco highchair: This was a gift from her grandparents and she's really just now started using it the past month. Its great! The seat is comfy and the tray is easy to remove. Also it has those straps that give you the option of just waist or waist and shoulders.


Since I'm starting this blog when Harper is already 6 months, I plan on going back and doing her past months too. A 6 month rewind, if you will. Until then, I'll leave you with this little sweetie.