Our Junk Cabinet

Please excuse these horrible pictures.  You would never know that I have a really nice camera.  A nikon D3100, to be exact.  But, let's be honest, it's way easier to snap a picture on my phone and send it on to instagram. I promise I am going to try really hard to stop using my iPhone for blogging pictures.

Most people have a junk drawer in their kitchen or near by, right? Well, due to our kitchen cabinet/drawer layout... we didn't really have a good spot for a junk drawer.  But, we do have this narrow, little cabinet by the fridge that is perfect for a junk spot.  It has three shelves and not a whole lot of space on any of the shelves.  When we first moved in the cabinet was a disaster.  Piles of mail. Medicine. Measuring cups. {I do not have a "before" picture because I wasn't even considering blogging when I organized this space. Sorry!}

Anyway...on to the good stuff. Pictures!

+Here she is.  See, not really all that big and pretty narrow.

+A far away shot of the three shelves post organization.  This cabinet makes me smile, and I feel like I'm in a classroom when I look at it. 

+A close up of the top shelf.  The clips tin has paperclips and binder clips. The marker tin is really self explanatory, and the crayons are tucked in there by the markers.

+Middle shelf close up.  The office bin has stamps, checks and labels.  The letters bin has anything we would need to right a letter/thank you note.  Including envelopes.  My blue journal propped beside the letters tin is what I make my grocery lists in, and I have stashed eating related coupons by the journal {We do not get very many eating related coupons so that works for us}.

+The bottom shelf has a glass square vase holding pens, pencils and scissors.  The coins tin has spare change and the notes bin has note pads and sticky notes.

This space is totally a life saver for us! It hasn't even gotten 'junky' one time since organizing it.  I really wish you could have seen the before! Trust me, it was yucky.  Even if you do not have a drawer that would work for stashing these kind of things, find a small space that will do the trick!

love, the Blair Abode

Happy Tuesday!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  It was slightly rough getting back into the swing of things today.  But, it's definitely nice that tomorrow is already Wednesday.  Our weekend was absolutely awesome. We had some much needed down time, family time, cleaning time and just being together time!

Some favorite's from the long weekend...

+ Cucumbers and ranch for an afternoon snack.  It was so refreshing!

+I made this for dinner Sunday night and it was oh.my.goodness. This is a spicy sausage pasta dish that will seriously impress you! It is beyond easy and a perfect weeknight meal.  This dish is packed full of flavor and goodness! I found the recipe here!

+Memorial Day outfit.  I'm totally loving wide leg + linen pants.  They are so much cooler than jeans and I love them with wedges.  I'm addicted.

gray, "flowey" tank - TJMaxx

nude tank- Francesca's

white linen pants {wide leg} - Altar'd State

+This is how I started my morning today.  Hazelnut coffee with cream and sugar.  I'm so thankful for coffee in the mornings.  Such a wonderful way to start the day...

I also did some organizing in our closet this weekend, and I'll be posting about that sometime this week.  I hope y'all had a wonderful Tuesday and I'd love to hear how you spent your weekend.

love, the Blair Abode  

Our life lately...

This week has been somewhat busy for us, yet I'm trying to remember what I did. Ever feel like that? I didn't do the greatest job at capturing our week via pictures, but I do have a few to share.  I started back at the daycare/summer elementary day camp this week.  It was a great first week, and I'm excited about the summer ahead with this awesome group of kids.  It's so fun to watch them grow and change over the summer.

Here's a peek into our week:

+I ordered these wedges. I first mentioned these here.

+It has taken me a while to warm up to the color blocking trend. I love it on other people, but just wasn't feeling it when I tried to pull it off.  I guess that my obsession with all things neutral is to blame.  But, this week I found these coral skinny's and I was sold.  I will probably pair them with neutral tops mainly, but the shade of coral is perfect.

I found these at JCPenny's and they are MNG Mango brand for $40.

+I'm going to give you a peek into a messy bedroom.  I'll admit, I've slacked this week.  I really didn't do a good job at keeping things picked up.  I have fallen behind in laundry and our bedroom.  Maybe I'll find motivation today? I sat a laundry basket of clothes that needed to be laundered on the floor, and then I jumped into the shower.  Mozart, our precious baby had some plans up his sleeve. This is where I found him when I was done showering. Thanks for the laugh, baby boy.

Here's my baby out like a light on the couch

We are so thankful for a long weekend. Happy Memorial Day! We will be spending some time with Ty's family tomorrow and I cannot wait. Love weekends like this!

-Menu for the upcoming week-

Sunday: Spicy Sausage Pasta

Monday: Dinner at Ty's parents

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday

Wednesday: Leftovers or Buffalo Chicken

Thursday: Red Beans and Rice

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Mini Weekend Getaway for Hubs and I out of town!

Have a wonderful long weekend! 

love, the Blair Abode

Dreaming of Wedges

I have to say wedges are my favorite summer time heel.  Wedges can be so dressy, or they can be so casual.  I love the versatility they offer and they really look cute with skinny jeans, wide leg jeans, cropped pants, dresses.. basically, they look cute with everything.

I'm also loving the statement wedges this season.  Bright pops of color, awesome patterns and nude wedges.  Every girl should own a pair of nude colored wedges.  

Because I'm dreaming of buying new wedges I put together some inspiration.  I tried to find some fabulous bargains.  All of these wedges are $40 and under.  I'd much rather have three new pairs of shoes versus one.

I love this wedge.  The ombre is so cool and these would go with so much.  These wedges are LC Lauren Conrad brand and are at Kohl's for $39.99.

These are so fun and so inexpensive.  I'm not really into spending a lot of money on a colored shoe like this.  I don't mind spending on something that is neutral, but if it's a color...I want reasonable. These are at Payless ShoeSource for $29.99. Yes, please! 

I'm falling in love with this mustard color.  These would be incredibly pretty for summer, and totally gorgeous for that transition into fall.  Would you believe these pretty things are at Payless for only $27.99? 

If you're looking for bright colored wedges and do not want to spend much...these are calling your name.  Again, another incredible find from Payless.  The heel size looks really practical too. The colors they come in are endless: navy, white, black, bright blue, yellow and hot pink.  Get this, they are only $19.99. 

Of course, you cannot go wrong with this choice!  I'm loving all of the texture in this shoe and I love the heel height.  It's 1 1/4 inch heel and that is perfect for everyday.  I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy these along with one of the colored wedges.  These are at JCPenny's for $25.00.

I'm totally impressed with Kohl's, Payless and JCPenny's.  I typically do not shop at any of those stores.  I was nicely surprised when I began searching online for wedges.  I'm thinking a trip to Payless and JCPenny's is on my list for tonight.  What's your favorite wedge? Let's share shoe bargains.  What bargain have you found lately for shoes? 

love, the Blair Abode

One year ago today

I was marrying the man of my dreams.

Some things I have learned about my husband during our first year of marriage...
+He has a heart of gold.  I've never met anyone more patient and loving.  I already knew this about him before we got married, but now there is no question about it.
+He really loves video games and steak.
+He is a total morning person.  He pops up out of bed ready to tackle the day.  I'm the type that needs some time to just lay there and dread actually getting up.  Nope, not him.

+He always take our pup, Mo outside in the middle of the night.  He's major selfless.
+He will help me in the kitchen anytime that I ask, and helps with dishes.
+He's the best Uncle to my niece and nephew.  Him and my nephew are the best of friends.  He will play with James for hours and it is so sweet.
+He loves buffalo chicken in any shape or form.
+His favorite nights are the nights we spend at home together relaxing.

I love you, Tyler. I'm so happy I get to be your wife.
Happy 1st Anniversary!

Our life lately...

It has been quite eventful around here lately, but with refreshing down time for me.  It has been such a relaxing past week or so and I thought I'd give you a peek into our life via pictures...

+I graduated college on May 12th.   It was one of the best days ever.  My family gave me the most perfect party ever complete with Mexican food, family/friends and so. much. fun.  I graduated Magna Cum Laude, and it feels so good to be done. 

+I'll have to do an entire post devoted to my gorgeous gifts. Here's a preview: the gorgeous mint green amethyst ring Ty got me. 

+We enjoyed an afternoon together this week with a delicious shake from Braum's.  I got mint chocolate chip, of course.

After getting our shakes, we headed to the Bentonville Square.  The Square is the cutest, most sweetest place.  I love spending time there, and enjoying the sunshine.  Also, the very first Walmart is at the square.  It's totally adorable. Here she is:

+I did some freezer cooking with one of my best friends. We took it pretty easy this time and just cooked up ground beef with carrot, onion and celery, shredded chicken and twice baked potatoes.  Now, our meals will be way easier to plan and fix each evening. Entire post devoted to freezer cooking coming soon.

+Our first anniversary is May 21st, 2012.  We decided to eat dinner Saturday night as our celebration.  I'm sure I'll talk Ty into eating Mexican on the actual day, but we picked Outback as our treat. Of course, you cannot go to Outback and not get their famous Wallaby Darn.  It's the best peach drink you've ever tasted.

Their french onion soup is to die for. I had their baby back ribs as my meal, but cannot pass up a cup of the soup before my meal.

A few pictures from throughout the night. Myself, Mozart and Ty before we headed out to eat.  Mozart was really excited that his Momma and Daddy are celebrating ONE year together! 

The dress I wore for our dinner.  This is one of my graduation presents from my Aunt Tam. Is that not the funnest dress ever? 

love, the Blair Abode

Products I Love: Lush Coconut

...as a tribute to summer I'm going to do a 'products I love' series.  Each week, I will feature at least one (most of the time more) product review.  I'm going to feature all time favorites + new products I'm trying.  Something about summer time makes all things cosmetics and nail polish way fun.

First up: YSL Volupte' Sheer Candy Lush Coconut 01

YSL is my favorite lipsticks. If you've never tried them, they are SO worth the splurge! They feel like the most moisturizing lip balm ever.  Totally addicted.  This color is so 'summery.'  It's the perfect blend of nude (which I'm in love with all shades of nude), gold, bronze and even a hint of coral.  It goes on pretty sheer, and I love the sheerness for summer.  This by far has my vote for favorite everyday lipstick. 

Well done, YSL!

What's your favorite lipstick/lipgloss for summer?

love, the Blair Abode

The Dreaded Cleaning Day!

Why is it so hard to get motivated when it comes to cleaning?  Some days I'm chomping at the bit to get goin', but other days I'm moving.so.slow!  I try to do a deep clean in our house once a week.  Usually, this is on Saturday or Sunday morning.  We try super super hard to keep our place picked up during the week.  This hopefully means that on the weekend we are ready to scrub, and then we are DONE!  We don't always do our best at keeping things picked up but that's life, right?


This week has been much different than what my typical week has been like since January.  I finished my semester long Internship in a 4th grade classroom this past Tuesday.  So, I've had Wednesday, Thursday and today off.  It has been totally wonderful. I could really get used to being at home everyday.  But, I begin working at the preschool Monday.  This is my summer job, and I'm waiting to hear back from an interview with a 4th grade position. Fingers crossed!


Back to cleaning.  I have the opportunity to get my deep clean in today.  Meaning, the weekend is much more relaxing.  I also have the house to myself all day.  That means I'm able to get way more done...  


In order to get myself motivated I'm going to show you my list of things to tackle today.  I find I do a better job with cleaning when I have a list to keep me on track.  Also, it's really fun to cross things off of a list. :)


Here we go!
Deep Cleaning Schedule:

Floors- sweep, mop, vacuum all floors.

Bathrooms- sink, counters, shower, toilets and mirrors. Launder bath mats.

Bedroom- dust surface areas, sort all clothes, wipe everything clean

Kitchen- sink, counters, stove top and microwave.  Wipe cabinets, sort/get rid of any piles on table/counters

Breakfast nook- clean glass top and  dust buffet

Living room- dust all surface areas, roll couch, and put away computer cords

Entry way- pick up green cabinet and stick shoes into basket

Laundry- towels, sheets, jeans, miscellaneous clothes

Do NOT forget: baseboards, vents, blinds, windows, ceiling fans, wipe drawers! 

It's so much fun using this list as a guide in every room.  I feel way accomplished when I just take it room by room.  I will begin by starting laundry and then keep my loads going while I'm cleaning the rest of the house.

Anyone else having to dig for some cleaning motivation this morning?  I will say that I love getting new cleaning products though.  Funny how that works?  Just for a little something fun: Here's two of my favorite cleaning products...

My favorite all-purpose cleaner.  Smells SO clean, but doesn't require much at all.  I usually mix up a bucket of this stuff + water for various cleaning throughout the house.  Typically, I mop with this mixture also.

Mrs. Meyer's counter-top spray is to die for.  My personal favorite is the lemongrass.  But, I have basil right now and it's pretty good too.  It's so refreshing and a perfect go-to product for throughout the week wipe downs.

What are your favorite cleaning products?  Well, wish me luck today because it's slow goin' around here.  

love, the Blair Abode

Small, adorable desk...

...that's what has been on my mind lately.  I love small desks/built-ins worked into kitchens. I've been dreaming of a spot like this off of our kitchen.  Our town-home isn't the most spacious, but I think I could make this work.  It would require some rearranging, which I think is what is causing me to ponder instead of running 100mph to find that perfect desk.


Let's talk about some of the uses for a desk by our kitchen.  I'm talking a small, "airy" desk.  Preferably white, or a pop of color:

• Creating grocery lists/menu planning
• Any type of computer work
• Grading papers/lesson planning
• Totally adorable

I think those would be my top four uses of a desk by the kitchen.  I won't lie.  Maybe the totally adorable factor is #1 on my list.  There's nothing wrong with that is there?  I love a cozy, warm area.  I'm always decorating/re-arranging/adding to.  

One thought that has entered my mind is the possibility of moving into a home that doesn't have a spot for the desk near the kitchen.  Problem solved: place the desk in a guest room/Baby Blair's room. Baby Blair does not exist yet, but one day he/she will! I love desks in kids room, so I'm not worried about the idea of not always using it in the kitchen.

One thing that I'm not sure about is space.  The desk would go in the spot where our green cabinet currently lives.    The green cabinet would have to find a new home, but still close to the front door.  Our green cabinet is our "catch-all" spot. We can't move this piece away from the front door.  I'm worried that the entry area would become cluttered.  Thoughts?   

Now, for the best part. Pictures.  I've put together a few pictures so that you have visualize the look I'm wanting to achieve...

Basic Sawhorse Desk from Pier 1 on sale for $160. 

I love the lightness and texture of this wastebasket.  Not even sure I'd use it as a trash can, but possibly as storage (I'd sit it on the floor next to the desk either way). Wastebasket from Pier 1 for $20.

I love this! I would totally add this to the left/right corner of the desk to hold all of those wonderful office supplies.  Basket from Pier 1 for $18.

Love this lamp.  The best part is that I already own this lamp, and haven't found a spot for it since moving.  How perfect is that?

I'd either go for a chair like this (such a fun color), or a vintage colored chair.  Right now, I'd just snag one from another room in the house!

The price break down adds up to roughly $200 total for a new desk, wastebasket and organizer.  Not too bad if ya ask me.  What are your thoughts of my desk dilemma?  I'd love to hear your ideas on what would be best for the space.

love, the Blair Abode

Perfected Pantry

Pantries.  Pantries can be such difficult places to organize and keep organized. In order for a pantry to remain clutter free there has to be a system in place.  Now, the system doesn't have to be one that is super intricate or costs a lot of money, but there has to be a method to the madness. 


The first apartment we lived in had a very small pantry.  This resulted in storing small kitchen appliances in the guest bedroom closet. Not practical at all.  The town home has a walk-in pantry and it is OH SO NICE to have all of my kitchen belongings in the kitchen.  After being in the town home six months, I finally "perfected" my pantry.  My system may not be what works for you, but it has been totally reliable for me.  In fact, I haven't had to re-organize the pantry since putting this system to use.  To me, that equals beautiful.


Here are my top 5 elements in my pantry that I have found to be a must.  If you're in the market for organizing your pantry, I highly recommend these ideas:


1. A Shoe Organizer

That's not what you expected to be first on the list was it?  Seriously, I couldn't live without this in our pantry.  It's a perfect place to store all of those pre-packaged goodies (snacks, popcorn, cliff bars, rice, oatmeal, oats, bread crumbs, hot cocoa pouches, etc).  This literally allowed me to throw away more than a dozen boxes. Total space saver.  I got this clear pouched shoe organizer at Wal-Mart for $5.


2. Hooks

Take advantage of your wall space in the pantry. I love having a spot to hang my apron, extra Wal-Mart sacks, lunch boxes and my pup's travel bag.  I just used 3M hooks for the lunch box, and I found a precious spoon inspired three hook frame at Paul Michael's.  

3. Coordinating Baskets

I have loved having baskets in our pantry.  It has been so nice to have a spot to group together like items.  I have a basket for any kind of canned tomato product, green veggies, soups used when cooking, boxed meal starters, etc. This also makes creating a grocery list WAY easy.  I am not digging through mounds of cans or boxes to find out if I'm out of something.  Also, it keeps me from over buying because I can see everything I have easily.  I'm not a huge fan of buying things is mass quantities either, so I am less likely to do that since I have limited space in each basket.


4. Shelves

We added some extra shelving (the chrome) to our pantry, and it has provided us with so much extra storage.  It's a great place to stash small kitchen appliances, bake-ware, mixing bowls, roasting pan, etc.  Our kitchen doesn't have much cabinet space, so these have been really great for storing things that might usually end up in a cabinet.


5. Cookbook Haven

I love having a designated spot for all of my cookbooks.  I am never searching for a recipe for hours or wondering where I sat the cookbook I used last week.  They are always right in this spot.  It's totally in a convenient spot too, right? :)

So, that wraps up the list.  I'm sure there are tons of wonderful ideas out there that might surpass my top 5, but I have found these to be so so helpful.  An organized pantry just makes life easier, I think.  The #1 key to organizing a pantry is grouping similar items.  All five of my favorite features have that in common.  It's a great way to start when organizing anything.  

What are your top 5 elements of an organized pantry? Or, what are your hopes and dreams for your pantry?

love, the Blair Abode

Summer Smoothie

Summer time + smoothies = perfect.


There's really nothing better than making a refreshing, healthy smoothie on a hot day.  Lately, I have been all about smoothies as my dinner.  They're filling and totally appealing.  Hubs and I have been experimenting with different variations and this has proven to be our "summer staple."  


As in, this summer you will always find the ingredients for this smoothie in our freezer/fridge.


I don't typically follow a recipe for smoothies, but I have combined different elements from other smoothie recipes to create this one.  I'll do my best to come up with rough estimates of measurements. 


Summer Smoothie
-1/4 ~ 1/2 c. milk (the milk is used to thin, so use accordingly)
-4 large T. vanilla yogurt (this is my favorite, or I recommend Greek yogurt)
-1 pkg. of breakfast essentials french vanilla powder (adds extra boost if you're using the smoothie as a meal)
-As much fruit as your <3 desires! The mixed bag of frozen fruit from Wal-Mart is what I am keeping on hand + we always have fresh fruit.  Here's a list of the fresh fruit Hubs and I used before we purchased the frozen mixed: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, banana and kiwi.  Really though, do whatever sounds good!


Place all ingredients in a blender and blend.  Add milk as needed for thinning.  Serve immediately with a pretty garnish. :)

love, the Blair Abode

Things I love

Ahhh! Saturday Morning. It doesn't get any better than this.  Here are some things that must happen in my weekends: 

My Saturday mornings always begin with this.  There is nothing better than sleeping in until 8, and then coming downstairs and making coffee.  My sister-in-law actually told me about a trick for coffee.  She adds cinnamon into her filter before brewing the coffee.  I did that this morning, and it is so heavenly. Try it! I did about 1/2 teaspoon.

Hubs and I usually eat Mexican food Friday night, and I so look forward to my enchiladas and margarita. It helps me through the week.. not kidding.  I also find time to shop, organize and plan the coming week.  I find so much refreshment in weekends that we are able to be home. 

I'm looking for a graduation dress, and I'm going to include a few pictures.  These are not the actual dresses I have my eye on.  I haven't been able to find anything that I have liked enough to buy.  The pictures are just examples of styles I am thinking of.  Here are my options: 

1. A dressy, sophisticated dress.  This would require the most $, and possibly wearing heels.  Here's Antonio Melani's Celo Lace dress.  I have actually seen this one at Dillard's and it is gorgeous.  Not sure I need something this dressy? 

2. A summery, sun dress.  Possibly made of cotton.  Fairly casual, and I would be able to wear a flat, "strapy" sandal. Here is Loft's Surplice dress.  I have actually tried this on in chocolate brown.  It's a really cute fit, but totally casual and made of cotton.  I have some darling summery heels I could do with this + jewelry.  Is that enough?  

3. Wearing a dress I already own.  Of course, this option makes the most sense, but sounds like the least amount of fun. Ya know what I mean? 

What is your favorite option? 

love, the Blair Abode