fredricksburg, tx

I know it is a little late, but here are some pics from our anniversary trip. James and I wanted to get out of Dallas for a little "getaway weekend" to celebrate one ear of marriage (kind of weird going back to the one year after dating for over 7!)

We started our trip in Austin (on our way back from Kevin and Lauren's wedding in CS). We stayed in downtown and got Iron Cactus for dinner. We had our rehearsal dinner at the Iron Cactus in Dallas, so that was really fun!

Then we headed to Fredricksburg and checked in at our precious B&B, The Cameron Inn (see below).

We spent most of the first day shopping around at the adorable boutiques and antique shops. I even found my dream dishes. I had spotted these before our wedding and they are ridiculously expensive, so I enjoy drooling over them when I see them in boutiques like this one.

We also enjoyed some yummy ice cream...of course!

(this picture is a product of the stick your arm out and try to get a picture together...good thing James got a tripod for Christmas.)

Just a little taste of the many amazing antiques they had.

This place was amazing! We enjoyed some homemade chili for lunch and grabbed some sweet treats to go!

Overall it was a wonderful trip! I cannot believe it has already been a year! I am so blessed for an amazing husband that I got to enjoy this trip with! If you have never been to Fredricksburg I highly recommend it for a weekend getaway!

stockings

I made these awhile back, but they were my last big project (until Christmas break) and I am really happy with how they turned out. Especially hanging on the fireplace!

There is even one for Jaxon in the middle.

it's the most wonderful time of the year

This weekend was so wonderful! I am so grateful for weekends that are relaxing and spent with people I love.

On Friday, James and I went on a date to Urban Taco (oh, how we lovveee Urban Taco). Saturday morning we headed to Houston with my family for a very quick trip to visit my side of the family. It is always so good to see them. We headed back Sunday morning and it was so nice to have time to just get things done. James and I actually really love going to the grocery store together and planning out our meals for the week. It will be nice when his work schedule is not so crazy and we can cook together more often.

I got to end my weekend with this...

family, hot chocolate, a fire, christmas tree, and mad men

I know it is a tiny and blurry blackberry pic...but still wonderful

Happy Holidays! Hope everyone is enjoying some relaxing with hot chocolate and family!

mmm the holidays

I know it has been awhile...like over a month. I do love the holidays, but somehow they always seem like the craziest time of the year. James and I have been busy with hosting Thanksgiving for the first time and getting ready/decorated for Christmas.

Thanksgiving went so wonderful! James made a delicious turkey and I worked on the stuffing and making everything look cute of course! Our families each brought a side and all in all we had a TON of food!

Here are a few pics from Thanksgiving...

my wonderful hubby (who is an unbelievable cook) prepping the bird

the table all set up

(I got the burlap for $2 a yard and the red fabric for $1.80 a yard on sale at JoAnn's for a perfect table cloth)

each place setting

(when everyone sat down they wrote what they were thankful for on their place card)

our first thanksgiving as husband and wife AND our first turkey

After a long day of cooking and family the unthanks took a nap....including jaxon

After we hosted Thanksgiving over here, we celebrated with James' side of the family on Saturday and I made Pioneer Woman's "Dreamy Apple Pie" with whiskey sauce. It was truly that....Dreamy! I love everything she comes up with!

Overall it was a blessed Thanksgiving with great family and lots (maybe too much) yummy food!

peter pan and pumpkin dip

The week of Halloween is always a little crazy. It is red ribbon week at school (which throws it all for a whirlwind) and it always seems the end of October is just a "busy time."

Among all the craziness there has been some fun Halloween/Octoberish things to enjoy...

First, my sister and Caden came over on Saturday morning and we made Caden's costume. Now, of course he tried it on and in the split second I moved on to make one more part to the costume he managed to get his hot chocolate and add his own touch. Overall, it turned out great and of course is unbelievable stinkin' cute....

(again disclaimer for the blackberry photo)

I mean does it get any cuter?

Also, I took some pumpkin dip to community group last week and forgot how yummy it is to share! I got this wonderful recipe from Kristen Campbell my junior year in college and have loved it/made it EVERY fall ever since. It is great to take for a group of people. I recommend getting ginger snaps to dip. Although, I highly recommend getting the thin ones and the only place I have found them so far is Whole Foods.

Here is the recipe....

Pumpkin Dip

1 can of organic pumpkin

1 block cream cheese

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. clove

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

I put it all in the mixer and whisked away!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and yay for weather in the 70's tomorrow!

burlap ruffled pillow

So I have been wanting to find some fun pillows to add to our bed (because I am always looking for fun decorative things to add on.)

I found the look I wanted this summer when pottery barn came out with a variety of pillows in a burlap material that had cute sayings like "nest" or "laughter" stamped on it. I fell in love....then...

(photo courtesy of pottery barn)

...I read the $49 price tag. No thanks! I mean don't get me wrong...I lovvveee our pottery barn bedding (but what I love even more is that it was a mixture of wedding and graduation gifts!)

So instead of forking over the 50 bucks I headed to the good ol' Hobby Lobby and bought a yard of burlap to start my project. I wanted to add some sort of embellishment...so I decided on ruffles (because they are wonderful!)

I grabbed the burlap, cut some strips off the back of an old white t-shirt, and started sewing away. Once I was done, I stuffed the pillow and ta da.....

disclaimer- our computer is on it's last leg and doesn't like the pictures I was trying to upload...so blackberry photo will have to do for now...

Not only did it turn out great...I lovveee the price

1 yard of burlap- 2.99 (with LOTS to spare)

1 bag of stuffing - 2.99 (with LOTS to spare)

Total about $6

The best part is I have enough materials to make another pillow for FREE!

Hope everyone has a wonderful evening!

granola.

Since my morning breakfast typically consists of the same thing (plain yogurt, a little honey, raspberries, and vanilla almond whole foods granola) I decided I needed to spice it up a bit. I wanted to make my own granola so I combined a few recipes and added in a few things I really love. Here it is....

4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

about 5 seconds of Agave Nectar(gives it a little sweetness)

2 tbs. Canola oil

1 tsp. sea salt

a sprinkle of coconut (or however much you like)

a handful of dark chocolate chips

a handful of dried cranberries

a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

Bake at 350 for 5 minutes. Take out and stir then bake for another 5 minutes.

Then put it in a Mason Jar (because you can use them for everything) and they are super cute!

I hope to get some more baking in this week/weekend! Fall makes me want to bake things all the time!

Hope you enjoy!

Lauren

7 years

This past Friday James and I celebrated 7 years of being together! We decided since we are high school sweethearts and dated so long before we got married that we will try to celebrate that date each year. We don't do presents or anything like that...just a date!

On Friday James made me a yummy dinner which consisted of salmon, couscous, and broccoli! Then we headed to La Duni for some delicious dessert and coffee. One of my favorite things to do is go get coffee and dessert with James. I feel like we have such wonderful conversations and just relax!

While we were enjoying our coffee we talked about all of the things that have happened in the 7 years we have been together....

started driving

went to homecomings and prom

graduated high school

went off to A&M

worked at sky ranch

graduated college

started our first real jobs

got MARRIED

got our precious pup, Jaxon

There are so many more wonderful blessing we have had in the 7 years we have been together. It is even more exciting to think about what will come. The Lord is using each of us to work on the other and teaching us how to refine each other everyday. We are both so grateful for the gift of marriage and the blessing of the time we have had together!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and I will be posting a yummy granola recipe this week!

Here is a pic from back in the day...

(let's all take a moment and thank God for the invention chis)

chicken pesto paninis

In an effort to cut the cooking time and still enjoy a yummy dinner, James and I made Chicken Pesto Paninis this week. They were super yummy and soooo easy!

Here is what you need:

4 slices of your choice of bread (we grabbed some Whole Foods Rosemary Sourdough)

1 breast of chicken

2 tbs. basil pesto

mozzarella cheese

A side of your choice!

We grilled the chicken breast with italian seasoning and cut it in half (longways) making it thin. Put a little butter on the bread and add the cooked chicken, mozzarella, and pesto. We cooked ours on the handy George Forman.

Enjoy!

Here is one recipe I am drooling over and cannot wait to bake...

It is on the cover of the October Cooking Light. I think it would be perfect with a cup of coffee and cold weather!

fall skirt

A couple of weeks ago I went to City Craft (a wonderful fabric store in Dallas!) I spent way too long picking out fabric for some different projects I am working on, but one of the best parts was I got a wonderful book! James actually talked me into getting the book. It has so many great projects and most of them are great for a beginner seamstress like me!

The book is called One Yard Wonders. And it IS wonderful! I got the idea and pattern for a really cute skirt from the book. With lots of patience I figured it out!

I wanted to get a fabric that would work for fall and my LOVE for boots! Here is a pic with me in the skirt (we had to take it outside because the lighting was being stubborn!)

can't wait for fall.....

here is an up close....

Since it was my first skirt (and I am currently teaching myself) I was pretty excited with how it turned out. I definitely learned a lot making it and they will hopefully get better each time! I can't wait to make some more towel aprons and kitchen towels for the fall holidays! I am also looking forward to trying the jewelry roll and a couple other projects in the book!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! My new skirt and I can't wait for fall!!!

oatmeal pancakes

I had to share this yummy recipe! James and I went running yesterday morning and when we got back I was craving pancakes (but didn't want to defeat the run we just did). We just got our September Cooking Light and there was a recipe for oatmeal pancakes! I personally LOVE oatmeal, so I thought they were wonderful!

(photo and recipe courtesy of Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 1.1 ounces all-purpose flour (1/4 cup)
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

2. Combine buttermilk, butter, and egg in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3. Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Spoon about 2 1/2 tablespoons batter per pancake onto griddle. Turn pancakes over when tops are covered with bubbles; cook until bottoms are lightly browned.

I also made a skirt today! I am really happy with how it turned out! Pictures will be coming soon...

creations

I have really enjoyed the extra time I had this summer to start working with my new sewing machine. As I have said earlier, I have not taken any classes yet. There are definitely loose threads and areas of improvement, but I have made some fun projects for the time being.

Project #1

Kitchen Towel Embellishment

I took a white kitchen towel that we already had and added some of the leftover fabric from covering our chairs.

Project #2

Towel Apron

I love towel aprons because you can wipe your hands while cooking! This project was fun to make and simple because of the straight lines. I also love the fabric!

folded in half...

ta-da...in my new apron

These are just a few fun projects I have been working on! I can't wait to take my lessons and start making more!

Can't believe school starts Monday! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

life.

James and I are so excited because the Lord is doing such wonderful things in our lives right now. I just headed back to school and will be teaching 2nd grade this year, and he just got a job with Saxon Mortgages. It will definitely be an adjustment because his schedule will be pretty different than mine, but we are looking forward to seeing what the Lord will teach us during this season of our lives.

I also can't believe summer is over (goodbye Good Morning America with a leisure cup of coffee)! This summer was wonderful! It was full of building relationships, relaxing, and fun times with friends and family! Although, I will miss summer... it is kind of nice to go back to a schedule!

I have also been working on some sewing projects (still have not taken my formal lessons). I think I am doing pretty good figuring this sewing thing out! I will be posting some things I have done on the blog later this week (when I get a picture and take time to post it).

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

kitchen table redesign

My inner shabby chic attraction mixed with our love for "do it yourself" projects resulted in this wonderful kitchen table redesign.

Back in October I found an adorable table with 2 chairs for $100 in Canton. I thought it was a great buy because it was exactly what I was looking for and exactly what I wanted to spend (although I hoped I could get more than 2 chairs!) A couple of months later our wonderful friends Kerry and Logan decided they did not want the chairs his mom had found at a garage sale (that were lime green). So we acquired 4 chairs to add to our table for FREE! With me being indecisive on what I wanted to do with the table and not having very many of the same days off this summer we had not gotten around to painting it...until this weekend!

We grabbed two buckets of paint AND a can of Kilz (to prime the lime green chairs) ALLLL in the "oops" section at Home Depot for a mere $11 (with lots of paint to spare for our next project!). We bought white for the table and a slight off white for the chairs. James does not see the different...but I assure you there is a difference! I also used an old table cloth to cover 2 of the chairs ( I even had some extra fabric that I sewed onto the end of a kitchen towel!)

Here are some pics from the redo...

Before-

half of the table before (we started painting

THEN remembered to take pics!)

the chairs before...

After-

The finished product!

Overall cost of the kitchen table-

Table with 2 chairs- $100

4 lime green chairs- FREE

2 buckets of "oops" paint- $10

1 can of Kilz (oops section)- $1

Tablecloth used to recover chairs- Already had (FREE)!

Total cost of Kitchen table- $111

I happen to think that is pretty good for a table and 6 chairs! It is definitely perfect for being in an apartment and still being able to have people over!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and getting those last few projects done before it is time for back to school!

more creations

Tonight I attempted my first project that involved a zipper. Pretty annoying if I must say so myself. I made a cosmetic bag and decided to do an exposed zipper because I like the look (and probably did not have the patience to do it another way).

Check out the new bag....

I also was helping Leah pack and start her blog today. It inspired me to change up my design...so enjoy! Still can't believe she is leaving Saturday morning. God is so good though, and blessed us with a wonderful day to hang out and time to see each other without a million things going on. I will be posting more about her journey and how you can support her and keep up with her journey to the Dominican Republic to teach 3rd grade.

Coming later this week:

Our favorite homemade salsa recipe (becoming a Unthank household staple!)

Yummy cheese puffed pastry twists

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

willow house and sewing

As some of you may know I started working with Southern Living at Home in the spring. I love to decorate and find it as a wonderful creative outlet and fun way to mix my love for decorating with my love for hosting parties!

This past summer the company "Southern Living at Home" merged with another decorating company and created "Willow House." I am SUPER excited for the new company and SO excited that I just got the new Fall 2010 catalogs!!!

On that note, the way it works is if you are interested in hosting a party you contact me and we work together to get a group of your friends together and shop through the catalog. The best part is this is not my job....so there is no awkward obligation to buy things like there sometimes is with these types of things. This is a fun "hobby" for me! So if you are interested...email me (laurenunthank@gmail.com). I would love to help you put on a part-ay!

here is a pic of the cute new catalogs...

Also, I have been loving working on my sewing machine. I don't start classes until August, so I know I have a lot to learn! Yesterday I made Brinley, my 3 year old niece, a cute little dress. I got the fabric on clearance for $3. I already had the thread and ribbon...you can't beat a 3 dollar dress!! I took the scraps of fabric and made 3 little rosettes and put them on the top.

She was pretty excited! When I showed it to her she said, "Awww Lauren I WUV my cute dress!"

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday!

Lauren

a blessed birthday

Yesterday was honestly the most wonderful birthday ever.

As some of you may know my beloved little CR-V has seen better days. It seemed like every time we turned around something was broken. So.....we traded her in and got a new CR-V!!!! We started my birthday at the dealership and we are so grateful that we were able to get a new car and everything worked out so great. (It was kind of weird because since I will most likely have this car for 5-6 years at least....James was checking for car seat capabilities and stuff like that!AHH!) No worries that is not another birthday surprise....just something that will probably happen in the next 5-6 years!

After getting the car we got lunch at one of my favvorritteee places, Neiman Marcus Cafe! And to top if off....

A RED VELVET SPRINKLES CUPCAKE!

Does it get any better than a red velvet cupcake?

photo courtesy of Sprinkles

After Sprinkles, we headed home and I got to work on some projects on my sewing machine. I made 2 little drawstring bags....I definitely need some lessons, but it was a good start.

Then it was time for a date! The best part of the day! We decided to get fish tacos and margaritas at Cyclone Anayas! mmmm I love that place!

Overall it was such a wonderful birthday! I feel so blessed! Plus, 23 sounds so much older than 22....so now it sounds like James and I are old enough to be married!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day and thank you for all the birthday wishes!

craft night with Leah

It is hard to believe Leah is leaving at the end of the month. She is going to teach in the Dominican Republic and I am so excited for this journey she is about to go on. We took some time last night to shop around for some crafty things, get some La Madeline, and come home for a good ol' craft night!

Here is a pic from our night...

sporting our cute new headbands

We made a few other things but did not get a picture.

Also, I got my sewing machine today!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited! And James' new lens finally came in the mail....it is hobby time at the Unthank casa!

Since James got his new lens I thought I would share a ridiculously adorable picture he got of Jaxon.

I mean seriously.....he is so cute.....

homemade vanilla cupcakes

James just got a new cookbook "The Kitchen Bible" for his birthday and we have been dying to use some of the amazing recipes. I immediately turn to the desserts, of course. To start out I gave these yummy vanilla cupcakes a try.....I mean who doesn't love a cupcake!

Here is the cookbook we used...

Ingredients for the cupcake batter...pretty simple

make sure the batter looks fluffy...

Ingredients for the buttercream icing

Result...a delicious cupcake!

I used a couple drops of green food coloring to give the icing a green tint. Also, I used whole milk which I would usually be against, but when baking certain things it makes a world of difference.

I will be taking these to community group tonight so I don't eat them all! We are also making a macaroni and cheese bake tomorrow night and having Kerry and Logan over...mmm can't wait!

blueberry peach cobbler...mmm

One of my favorite parts of the beginning of the month is getting the new Cooking Light magazine! It is always full of wonderful recipes, and the best part is they don't sacrifice good ingredients in an effort to make it super healthy. They simply teach you how to cut back in areas, substitute, and overall make a delicious dessert that you don't feel so guilty about!

I served this yummy dessert with a scoop of good ol' Blue Bell!

photo courtesy of Cooking Light

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 5 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced (I only used 2.5 pounds...5 was a little much!)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (fancy name for "Sugar in the Raw")

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Place peaches in a large bowl. Drizzle with juice; toss. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons flour to peach mixture; toss to combine. Arrange peach mixture evenly in a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces flour (about 1 1/2 cups) into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking powder in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and butter in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in blueberries.

4. Spread batter evenly over peach mixture; sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place baking dish on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly.

So grab these ingredients next time you go to the store and I promise you won't regret it!

initial project

So I have been wanting to put something above our bed (considering I can't stand blank off-white walls) but have not gotten around to it until...now!

This was a SUPER easy and CHEAP project. Here is what you need....

1. 3 square frames (They were 50% off at Hobby Lobby) $15

2. 3 pieces of scrapbook paper (also on sale) $.75

3. A Small tube of white paint (I already had) FREE

Total cost: $15.75

I took the scrapbook paper and painted our initials. Once they dried....I framed and hung them! SUPER easy....as I said. But I think it helped make the wall look much better!

Here is a look....

above the bed and an up close

Overall, it was a fun little project! Next thing to tackle is painting the kitchen table. I keep putting it off because the thought of sitting in a 100 degree garage and painting sounds miserable! Although, I am looking forward to fixing it up!

Thought I would throw in a cute picture of Jaxon.....he is so stinkin' cute!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

Lauren

summer brings joy

Summer makes me so happy (minus the heat!)

I actually have time to get things done! The other day I went to Whole Foods and wandered around taking my time grabbing a "few things" that I probably did not need! It was just so nice to have time to wander! I picked up some pretzel thins and sundried tomato and chipotle hummus and it is quite the yummy snack!

Also, I am going with James tomorrow to look at what sewing machine I want to get! I can't wait to finally get it! That also brings the excuse to buy lots of cute fabric!!!

If you are in the Dallas area....you should check out all the free events going on! James and I love a good free event! Here are a couple...

Addison- Saturday Summer Series (free concert) at Beckert Park 8pm

Dallas- Nasher Sculpture Center- 3rd Friday of every month (they play a movie and concert)

Both of these are great events to bring a picnic (another great excuse to wander at the grocery store) and a blanket.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!!!!!

matt and kelly's beautiful beach wedding

This past week James and I got a chance to go to Cabo for Matt and Kelly's wedding. We could not be more happy for them, and we are so excited to share some pics from their beautiful day!

We spent part of the week in Cabo San Lucas, but traveled to a WONDERFUL resort about an hour away in Todos Santos for the 3 day wedding weekend-ish. Our time at the resort was filled with delicious food, yummy drinks, laying by the pool, and enjoying the beach. It was a truly relaxing trip!

Here is the Rancho Pescadero where we stayed for the wedding

Everyone at the bonfire on Sunday night...we made smores and the boys had to get creative since the bonfire was HUGE!

A pic of the beaches in Cabo...the waves were really strong

Matt and Kelly Unthank!

Me with the good lookin' Best Man!

Overall, it was a beautiful wedding and a great vacation! We are so happy for Matt and Kelly!

Although, Cabo was fun...it is good to be home with Jaxon! He was very happy to see us! Hard to believe this will be my last week of school!

Hope everyone has a blessed Memorial Day!

so blessed

This morning I am taking some time to realize how truly blessed my life is...

I absolutely adore my little family. Getting Jaxon has brought James and I so much joy! I know that makes it sound like he is a child, but he is our little baby!!!

I also am so lucky to have such a sweet husband. He always goes out of his way to make me feel beautiful and special!

Here is a picture of my little family...

Oh and did I mention...Jaxon likes to lay all over the laundry pile when it comes straight out of the dryer. This is not something I am a fan of....so he enjoys it for about 2 seconds. He is pretty cute though! And that is him with his favorite toy!

That's all for now! What are the things in your life that make you feel blessed?