Michael Phelps? No, just call me STAR!

Kallie taught herself to swim this weekend with help from her cousin Lily. Yes, you read that correctly, and yes, she is part fish! By the end of yesterday, she was swimming clear across the pool. She was even trying to teach other CHILDREN to swim. What can I say, she's a giver!

Me: "I'm going to call you my little Michael Phelps!"

Kallie: "No, call me STAR! I'm astonishing!"

(Sorry the video isn't the best quality. :-/)

High Five For Friday

Wahoo!! It's Friday! I am linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk for her High Five for Friday to share my 5 favorite things from my week! I don't know about you but I am so glad it's finally here!!!

1. Pamper Us Up

My AMAZING father got my step mom, step grandmother, step sister and I a package deal massage, manicure and pedicure for mother's day. I am one lucky girl! I cannot even explain how much I NEEDED this. I might NEED it at least once a month! :-)

2. Lunch Date

After we got pampered, we all went over to Houlihan's for some drinks and lunch. We all got mini martini's, so our table was covered with martini glasses. It was quite funny actually! Lunch was delicious as well!

3. Little Fish

This little nugget is officially signed up for swim lessons at our YMCA. My little brother, Cain, was able to swim to the bottom of our pool at the age of 3! I have a feeling Kallie will be doing the same! She has NO FEAR of water. NO FEAR of anything actually, which scares me sometimes!

4. So You Think You Can Dance?

{via pinterest}

Get EXCITED!!! My favorite show returned last night and I am BEYOND excited!!! Cannot wait to see all the amazing dancers this year. This is the only reality based show I watch religiously. I won't miss one episode. I am always in a good mood when this show is on! :-)

5. Book It: Adobe Dreamweaver CS5

About two months ago, I was fortunate enough for my company to send me to take a web design class. Part of my job is to design our speaker presentation upload websites. I already had a foundation for creating them because my IT guys have taught me and I have been doing them for a year. However, I wanted a better foundation.

Website design is one of those things where you either use it or lose it! It's been less than two months since I attended the class and I found myself looking at my notes thinking, "Now, what is this exactly?"

I am now half way through reading my Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 Classroom in a Book and actually applying everything. Very proud of myself!

Top Ten Pin Thursday

One of my favorite things right now is Pinterest! Here are my Top Ten Pins this week!

1. Peach Mango Sangria

{via pinterest}

I found a recipe for Sangria on Pinterest a couple months ago and I have made it a couple times. When I found this one, I knew it would make for a fun, new twist. A delicious one at that!

2. 25 Things I've learned in my 20's

{via pinterest}

I laughed, wanted to cry and smiled when I read this. All 25 facts are true. Either ones that have already, are currently or I know will occur in my life.

3. Lampshade

{via pinterest}

One of my best girls and co-workers, Angie, gave me a lamp shade for a "new" lamp  I got. It won't fit on it but I know it will work great for this project. It will also go perfectly in my bedroom!

4. Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes

{via Pinterest}

I'm from Texas, I love chocolate and I love cupcakes! How can I not LOVE these little pieces of Heaven? These are next on my TO BAKE LIST!

5. Baby Onesies Pillow

{via pinterest}

I've always been a fan of the t-shirt blankets. With this pillow, you make it out of your babies onesies. I'm on it with Kallie's!

6. I Got the Blues

{via pinterest}

I so want a silky see-through shirt like this one. It is perfectly paired with these shorts. I LOVE this look!

7. the little things

{via pinterest}

I know Kallie is only 3 1/2 but it amazes me with how much she grows each day. She is the silliest, smartest, sweetest... little things she does from day to day are simply amazing. I am trying to remind myself to enjoy them before I turn around and she is in college. Feels like yesterday when she was kicking away in my belly.

8. The Crazy Ones

{via pinterest}

As I grow closer to 30, I feel more and more confident of my dreams. They are crazy dreams and the harder I work, I KNOW I can achieve them. I WILL achieve them.

9. Going to the Chapel (x2)

{via pinterest}

Not one, but two of my friends/co-workers are getting married this weekend. Same day, totally different cities! It wasn't planned, LOL! I am so happy for them and for their partners! This picture reminds me of one of them, Martin! I hope they take a picture like this! Yay, Libby and Martin!

10. Wedding Cake

{via pinterest}

When I think of weddings, I think of wedding cake! This one combines it with chevron and the colors are beautiful!

Have a great day bloggers!

Back on Track

A couple weeks ago I bought the Tone It Up eating plan. I was all about it the first two weeks and even was really good about working out 2 times a day! Yes, I said 2 times a day! You start off your day with what they call a "Booty Call!" LOL! Sorry, I laugh every time I even say it in my head.

Although this plan is AMAZING, I would say I had half way fallen of the bandwagon in the past couple of weeks. I have still been eating some of the meals in the plan but not been as strict as I should be, and not working out as much as I should have been. Basically, you eat 5 to 6 times a day, no starches after 3:00 pm and you work out 2 times a day. I have been keeping a few meals in my daily eats but for lunch and dinner most days, it's just way easier to go to Subway. Foot long, half for lunch and half for dinner! :-)

A couple meals I have still been including almost daily...because I LOVE them...and I'm addicted...

Slim Down Protein Pancake

Chicken Salad

Peanut Butter & Banana Wrap

Portobello Turkey Burger

I'm on day 2 of being back on track with the eating plan, which is actually the easy part for me right now. Working out on the other hand is just driving me crazy! I've been doing my "Booty Call" (LOL) every morning but just not motivated to workout after going to work. The only time I can really fit it in is during lunch and honestly I'm just not feeling it right now, even though I know it's good for me. I'm really hoping my motivation returns.

Please send motivation wishes my way!! :-)

High Five For Friday

Well, hello there Friday! So glad you could join the party!

So very happy that it is now Friday. I have lots of fun things planned for the weekend and I cannot wait until 5 o'clock arrives. I'm sure most of my weekend plans will make next weeks High Five for Friday! Sorry to get ahead of myself...on to this weeks...

1. Kallie's First Classmate Birthday Party

Kallie has been to plenty of her cousins birthday parties but this was the first classmates birthday party. She had a complete blast. I'm not really sure why but I get really anxious about this kind of stuff. Not really about her so much because she is the most social butterfly ever and everyone loves her. It is more about me. I get overwhelmed with thinking about meeting her classmates parents and having stuff to talk about. I think it has to do with being a single mom. Maybe not.

After all was said and done, it was overall a success. The little boys mother was the best hostess and made sure I, along with every other parent there, was comfortable. She even voiced that she gets nervous about these kind of things too, so maybe it is just a parent thing in general.

2. Mother's Day

I had the most amazing mother's day ever. Getting to spend the morning with Kallie watching her cartoons and eating breakfast. We then went over to my parents house to spend time with my family while hanging out in the pool and eat dinner. Added bonus, one of my little brothers was in town from college. Kallie baby just loves her Uncle Gabe.

 3. My Manicure

I have searched the internet to find out what this manicure style is called but can't seem to find it anywhere. I must say...I. LOVE. IT. So much fun using two colors and makes for a little festive changes from a regular plain color. So simple, so chic.

I haven't been one for painting my nails on the regular but I will be making this my new little thing.

4. She's Getting Hitched!

One of my favorite co-workers is going to the chapel...and she's gonna get married...NEXT SATURDAY!! 5 other of my co-workers and I celebrated Libby's upcoming special day at Urban Crust (SO YUMMY!!) in downtown Plano last night with some pretty drinks and pizza. It was so much fun chatting and hearing Libby's sweet engagement story. I am so lucky to work with such amazing women!

5. Avengers, Assemble!!!

{via pinterest}

Last night after Libby's shindig, Ryan and I went to see The Avengers. I have only seen Iron Man out of all the other comic book characters that were apart of the avenger team. I need to do some major catch up on Thor, Captain America and Iron Man 2. I might be hitting up the Redbox sometime this weekend!

I thought this was too funny and cute not to share!

{via pinterest}

Happy weekend everyone!!!

Come On Back Now, Ya Hear...

I don’t really get much time to watch much television having a 3 ½ year old. I somehow sneak in bits and pieces of Ellen, Cupcake Wars, and Grey’s Anatomy in between Winx Club and Little Bill. There are a few shows that I do not miss though. I think of something to distract Kallie somehow long enough to watch them. Don’t worry, they are always DVR’d in case I miss something.

I have come to love two new shows this year. I was worried that they weren’t going to get renewed and was pleasantly surprised to find out that they are returning!!

Hart of Dixie

{via pinterest}

                       “Fast-talking New Yorker and brand new doctor Zoe Hart has it all figured out - after graduating top of her class from medical school, she'll follow in her father's footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, Zoe decides to accept an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work with him at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Zoe arrives in this small Gulf Coast town only to find that Harley has passed away and left his half of the medical practice to her in his will.”

{Via IMDB}

How can you not love Rachel Bilson? She plays the character of Dr. Zoe Hart. I never really watched her on The OC but I’ve always been a fan of her fashion sense. I fell in love with her personality on this show. It might be because I see a lot of myself in her. She is very vulnerable to men, I think maybe due to the fact that she doesn’t have a stable male figure in her life. I’m not vulnerable to men due to this fact. Mine is because I choose to fall in love with ones that can’t love me back.

My other favorite part of this show…the men. Oh. My. Lordy. Good-looking is an understatement. Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights) plays George Tucker. Bluebell’s lawyer who is a perfect match for Zoe but engaged to Lemon Breeland, played by Jaime King. He is the cutest thing. I also found out recently that he is engaged to a girl who went to UT. How can you not love him after knowing that? Texas girls are awesome!!

{via pinterest}

The other heart stopper is Wilson Bethel. He plays Wade Kinsella who is the bad boy bartender that instantly falls for Dr. Zoe Hart but rebels against it because he thinks she is out of his league. 

{via pinterest}

If it comes right down to it, my vote is for Zoe to choose George Tucker. Swoon. You did read correctly that he is ENGAGED. You will have to watch to see what I’m talking about. Healthy drama people. Healthy. Drama.

The season finale was great! I was getting a little fed up during the season because they would always tease you with all these almost kiss moments and then give you nothing. The last couple of episodes really delivered though. You’ll have to check it out to know what I’m talking about. I will be buying the first season on DVD.

Once Upon a Time

“Centers on a woman with a troubled past who is drawn into a small town in Maine where the magic and mystery of Fairy Tales just may be real.”

{Via IMDB}

Who doesn’t love a fairy tale? I live with a little princess so she actually loves this one. It takes place in two times, yet the people are in both of them.

In one world, aka Fairy Tale time, you have Snow White, Prince Charming, Little Red Riding Hood, The Evil Queen…you get my drift. Kallie loves this part because she is one of these characters on any given day of the week. The fire breathing dragons don’t hurt either.

The other worlds, present day, has all these same characters but are known “as other aliases.” They don’t know who they are either, except some of them do. It is a curse brought on by the evil queen and/or Rumpelstilskin. A woman is brought back into the town, Storybrooke, to break the curse.

It can get a little confusing, I know. I think it is genius and cannot believe it hasn’t been thought of before. This show also has some great actors. Ginnifer Goodwin from Big Love plays Snow White/Mary Margaret Blanchard, Jennifer Morrison from House plays Emma Swan, the woman to brought in to break the curse, and Eion Bailey from Center Stage plays August W. Booth/Pinocchio. I hope they make Eion a regular, very talented and a cutie. Josh Dallas, who plays David Nolan/Prince Charming is nice to look at and equally as talented.

I cannot wait until next season to see who they bring in to play the classic characters from my childhood. Who am I kidding, I should be saying my life now. I watch Sleeping Beauty and Alice in Wonderland on the regular with the little munchkin. They have only touched on a few of the characters and it will so interesting to see who is next. I believe Belle played by Emilie de Ravin (wahoo Roswell love!) might be a key player next year, or I hope she is. I don’t believe this show could go wrong.

BIRCHBOX: May

Yay for  some Birchbox! I just received my very first one in the mail and I am oh so excited! Do you get Birchbox? If you don't, what are you waiting for? 

This month they were doing a promotion with the the CW Network's show Gossip Girl. It was very fun.

Here's what I got in my Birchbox:

1. Dr. Jart + - Waterfuse BB Cream
Think of this four-in-one moisturizer, serum, sunscreen, and skin-perfecting tint as the (extremely stylish) Swiss Army Knife of your beauty lineup. Full-size $32

2. Color Club - Nail Polish in Disco Nap
Give nails a gilded look with this luxe metallic polish. Full-size $8

3. Atelier Cologne - Vanille Insensee
Rich and sophisticated, this boutique brand's vanilla scent is infused with a splash of lime and coriander. Full-size, $65-$175

4. twistband - Hair Tie
Give your ponytail a makeover with these colorful, snag-free elastics. 12-pack, $18

5. fresh - Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15
This cult favorite has a subtle rosy hue, plus natural super extracts to exfoliate and smooth lips. Full-size $22.50

EXTRAS:
notecard
Text messages are no match for handwritten notes on fun, modern stationery. Set of 12, $10

(Descriptions provided by note card in Birchbox.)

LOVING: 

The Atelier Cologne is AMAZING! I am about 99% sure I will be purchasing a full bottle of this once my sample runs out. Smells so yummy!

The fresh tinted lip treatment is equally AMAZING! My best friend has a full size version and she was all about it before I saw it in my box. Knowing I now had one to try I was ecstatic. I'm pretty impressed with the packaging of it as well. Might be making this a future purchase.

NOT SO MUCH LOVE:

The twistband hair tie I could take or leave. I am impressed with how comfortable it is in my hair. I hate getting those headaches caused by my freaking hair tie. These you can't really feel but I think they are WAY overpriced and if you have thick hair you can't really wrap them around your ponytail too many times. I might consider these for Kallie because she has thin hair and she wouldn't complain about feeling it. I would make them myself though.

The Dr. Jart + cream. There really isn't much in the sample and I can't really tell a difference in my skin.

Verdict is still out on the Color Club nail polish. I plan on testing it out tonight on a at home pedicure. I LOVE the color though. I'm sure Kallie will be getting a pedicure too once she sees me doing one on myself. She will probably love it as well.

UPDATE: The Color Club nail polish is a definite DO! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!

Already counting down the days until my June Birchbox comes in!

i pinned that!

Original Pin

I had seen this neat pin a long time ago when I first joined Pinterest. The idea came from Bonkers About Buttons. I wanted to wrap all my Christmas presents like this but ended up going with another pin. So, I thought I would try it for Mother's day instead!

I had so much fun doing this pretty project!

Materials:

-Present :-)
-Wrapping paper
-Scissors
-Tape
-Ribbon, string, raffia, etc.
-Buttons

First, wrap up your present. Next, thread your ribbon through the button holes. After doing this, wrap the ribbon around your present. You can do this as many times as you would like. You can keep it like this or even tie little ribbons through the buttons. Overall, it was a very fun Pin project and everyone thought it was super cute! Kallie even wanted one of her very own!

I am going to start trying to complete one Pinterest project a week, whether it be creating some artwork, cooking something or even trying something out fashion wise. I just love how Pinterest gets my creative juices flowing. Eventually I'm going to create a link up so keep coming back for more! :-)

Happy Monday bloggers! :-)

Happy Mother's Day

This is my beautiful mom! This year will be 10 years since she passed away. I think of her on a daily basis but will be thinking of her all day today. I love and miss her so much. 

I am very lucky that Kallie is so much like her. I notice little things in Kallie that are exactly like my mom. I know that Kallie has a lot of my mom in her. It makes me so sad that Kallie and her cousins don't get to have her in their lives although I know she is in their hearts.

I also see so much of my mom in me. I notice myself doing some of the things my mom use to do as a mom. Makes me feel pretty good and special.

I love and miss you so much mom!

I hope everyone has a very Happy Mother's Day!

High Five For Friday

Here are five of my favorite things from this past week:

1. My sweet Kallie baby has been sick since Wednesday afternoon. Her fever finally broke this afternoon. Thank Goodness! Wahoo!

2. My 1st Birch Box shipped this week. I'm pretty sure it's sitting on my desk as we speak!

3. I've never really ever been a fan of beer, let alone dark beer. I tried a Blue Moon one night out for a friends birthday and loved it. I picked these bad boys up at the store this afternoon. Very much looking forward to the taste testing this weekend.

4. Tone It Up! Chicken Salad. So. Freaking. Good. I have had it for dinner ever night this past week.

5. My stepmom, Tammy, aka TaTa to Kallie, rescued us Wednesday evening. Kallie was so sick and I couldn't make it to the store. She brought Kallie chicken soup, Pedialyte Popsicles, dinner for me and this Betty Crocker best cupcakes & more magazine. So grateful for her.

Happy Weekend everyone!

The Purple Chaise Story

There she is! Isn't she beautiful? No, not me! 

I have been wanting to start a new blog for a very long time now. I read my favorite blogs on a daily basis and knew if I was going to start blogging again I wanted a great name for it. Sounds pretty easy don't you think? To think of a creative, cute blog name. No, not so much.

Ever so often, my parents neighborhood has a set Saturday where anyone living there can have a garage sale if they would like. Last weekend happened to be one of those Saturdays and I happened to be dog sitting for my parents. I stopped at the bank the day before for some just in case money.

That morning I went for a walk around the neighborhood. I walked by one sale and didn't really notice anything that caught my eye and I decided right then that if nothing jumped out at me, from a distance, then I wasn't even going to stop. The second house I came upon, I didn't pay much attention...until I looked back over my shoulder for some reason after I had passed it.

There it was. The most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life, other than my daughter of course! It was love at first sight, literally. I ran back to the sale and checked out the price tag.

$20!

Are you kidding? I asked the owner, "Does that say $20?" Yep!

"I'll take it!"

I looked around a little bit more and found a lamp and mirror that I plan on fixing up and putting in my office, right along with my new purple chaise lounge. All three need a little TLC but I know they are going to make my office beautiful.

I knew I not only found the most amazing find ever but I also knew I found the name of my new blog, The Purple Chaise Girl. Where I'll blog about pretty much everything with a lot of TLC.