snapshots: new desk

i started this blog with the promise that i would post all about our new house.  

ummmm, yep, that never happened.

i am so, so proud of the (tons of) work we've done to make this house us.  but i hestitate because i in no way want to seem (or feel) braggy or that i am showing off.  and i completely understand that not everyone gets excited about clearance curtains from anthropologie or desks made out of scraps.  but man, i sure do.

so i have decided to share snapshots of my favorite parts of this house, one room at a time. 

up first: our new desk.

somewhere in bloggy-land or in a magazine, god knows how long ago, i saw a picture of a farmhouse style table with metal legs.  i took a mental snapshot and filed it away in my brain next to that print of a tupac quote i want to hang in the boys' bathroom.

oneday, as i often do, was perusing etsy and searched "metal table legs".  my search results determined my immediate need for a new desk.  so i began planting seeds: in chris' head first.  i was just throwing my idea out into the universe and letting it digest and settle.  i mentioned it to my dad and next my pawpaw, then i waited.  soon, i heard the glorious words, "pawpaw found some wood scraps in the back of the shop to use for the top of your desk".  BINGO!  my plan worked.

back to etsy i went to order (very affordable) table legs, and within a week, my 88-year-old pawpaw had built and finished my dream desk.

my requirements were: no drawers, large surface area, a light/distressed paint finish.

because i wanted this piece to lighten up the other heavy, dark furniture in the room, they (and by they, i mean the professional painters in the family) decided to bleach the wood.  pawpaw bleached it several times and then treated it with vinegar.  he acheived the distressed look by drybrushing the desk lightly (which means applying very little paint to a dry brush and lightly grazing the surface), splattering it (with a toothbrsuh) and beating it with a chain.  in another genius move, chris painted a panel of wood to match our wall and baseboards, then installed it behind the desk to hide all of the computer cords.  you don't even know it's there until you are up close.

thus my perfect desk was born.

i bought a sunburst mirror at target with a giftcard, an upholstered desk chair (also with the help of a gift card) from marshall's, grabbed a lamp from the garage, and viola!

what do you think?

i think i am in love.  with a desk.  and that i should be committed.  to the looney bin, of course.

8 mile

after typing the title of this post, i tried to come up with some witty reference to eminem, but my aching legs are thwarting any attempt at being funny.

i ran eight miles this morning.

y'all, i am trying to be happy about my accomplishment. 

i really am.  yes, eight miles is a long way.  in fact, it is the farthest i have ever run.

i struggled from the moment we started and i never recovered.  i stopped to walk a few times.  i whined the entire time.  i doubted myself.  i felt slow.

i cried in the car.

i know i should feel proud, but i am just not there yet.

maybe once my muscles stop hurting, i will have a little bit of perspective.

so for now, i wait.

i looked to pinterest to see if anything i have pinned could apply to my situation, and viola!!

i knew all of these quotes i hoard would come in handy someday.

Source: thinkspeakpeace.com viaCortney on Pinterest

                                                                     Source: fuckyeahfitspo.tumblr.com viaCortney on Pinterest

                                                                             Source: tumblr.com viaCortney on Pinterest

                                                                                Source: thegiftsoflife.tumblr.com viaCortney on Pinterest

oh, the last one refers to the hour long nap i just enjoyed.  that should put me in a better mood, stat!

have a great weekend, my loves.

love,

coco

greatest hits

sorry i have been such a lame blogger this week.  but let's be honest, it took 48 hours to recover from our 24 hour trip to texas a&m.

we spent saturday and sunday in college station with some of the best people i have ever had the pleasure of knowing.  when we are all together, my face literally hurts from all of the laughter.  i never want it to end.  and when it does, i am sad and left wanting more.

college friends.  they are family.  it's a special kind of love, am i right?

here's a peek at my week(end):

1) chance and jason arranged a surprise (to us) run-in with the beautiful miss reveille on campus.

 campus was full of high-school kids and their parents.   they either looked at us and thought a) wow.  they are loud and have foul mouths or b) see?  aggies are awesome.  even the old ones.

2) lunch at wings-n-more, our fav.  home of giant beers and the freshman fifteen.

 we were lucky enough to love on baby luke before he went to the babysitter.

3) then we moved on to duddley's draw, where we picked up right where we left off.

just looking at his expression makes me laugh.  i am sure whatever was coming out of his mouth was highly inappropriate.

 best friends gathered from dallas, houston, austin, denver and mcallen just to shoot the shit over pitchers of beer.

 this is what happened after i told them to "look sober".  fail.

 joni clicked her heels over the excitement of it all.  ryan was not entertained.

 4) the next day we went shopping on empty stomachs (when will we learn?) and marcy and i found these really cool cute red-ass unfortunate hats.  lucky for all who know us, we didn't buy them.

i don't know when a reunion like this will happen again, but i hope it is sooner than later.  i am counting down the minutes until there is a next time.

looking forward to a nice relacing weekend at home.  how was your week(end)?  what are you looking forward to?

until next time, whoop!

xoxo,

coco

greatest hits

i hope you felt loved yesterday, because you are by me.  that is all.

Source: ohsweetjoy.com via Cortney on Pinterest

here's a peek at my week:

1) my half-dead plant came back to life and looks beautiful when the morning light shines on it just so.

2) brothers doing brother stuff.

 3) a valentines party for ben's class.  all of the kids had a blast, that is, except for my kid.  i shouldn't have let him wear that hulk shirt.  he must've been trying to live up to the name.

{ben with his newest main squeeze, in between meltdowns}

{can you find the only kid not having fun?}

4) traditions (of the heart-shaped message variety).

 5) roses from my boo.

 6) homemade cards.

 7) chocolate cake.

 8) candy-comas.

p.s. i got chris this.

and he got me this.

we're on the same wavelength.

it must be love.

looking forward to the next 24 hours in college station with my very, very best friends AND chris.  i am about to pee with excitement.

how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

love,

coco

big time swag

happy valentines day from ben and the beibs. xoxoxo

grammys

let's talk grammys, shall we?

i loved them this year.  

highlights:

• ummmmmm, justin timberlake.  the end.  i have a little thing for voices that don't match the person.  does that make sense?  his voice is like buttuh.  and his moves?  cut. it. out.

• bruno mars.  i don't even like bruno mars, but i just may have found my new guilty pleasure song.

AND he sang with sting, who sang the police, and then into a bob marley tribute.  loved it.

• my batman loves him some mumford and sons.

• the black keys sang with dr. john and the preservation hall jazz band.  cool band + best of new orleans = pretty good in my book.
• jack white was weird and awesome and a little creepy (in a musical genius kind of way)

disappointments:

• rihanna looks hungry.  she needs some bob armstrong dip and a cheeseburger.  and she was there with her boyfriend who likes to punch her in the face.  i have problems with that.  but she sure is preeeeeety.
• adele's dress.  she's one of my favs.  not one of my favs: dresses that look like draperies.
• frank ocean.  listen frank, i am trying really hard to be a fan.  i love your cd.  but you've got to cut that forest-gump nonsense out.  mmmmkay?

did you watch the grammys?  what did you think?

greatest hits

i am in charge of planning the spring carnival for ben's school this year.  sounds fun, right?  it's fun (don't get me wrong) but it is also an enormous fundraiser for the school and requires a ton of planning.  i find myself staying awake at night fretting about how to: raise money, ask for help, beg for donations, and not be a complete failure.  i feel a bit out of my comfort zone.  and overwhelmed.  have i mentioned that it is a hobby of mine to stress out about every. little. thing?  tis true.  my brain is exhausting.

then mornings like this morning happened.  i ran uphill for 6.25 miles.  not once did i think i was going to die.  it was challenging, but i recovered and i have felt fantastic since.  i feel strong and capable.  and that, my friends, is how i know that everything will be o.k.

here's a peek at what made my week:

1) this nutjob.  he is into everything.  including plastic bins.

 2) dropping $20 at an estate sale for a big box full of old school wooden blocks.

3) "chaperoning" ben's first field trip.  and to the symphony!  

i was giddy.

 ben was a bit bored, but he certainly perked up when the high school ballerinas danced across the stage.  to quote him exactly (after he whistled, mind you), "i liiiiiiike her."

4) i have this friend named roxie.  she is actually a former co-worker of some of my dear friends.  we met at parties over the years and it was next to impossible not to fall for her deep louisiana-accent, her long red hair, and her fluency in spanish.  well, since she no longer works with my friends, our paths never cross anymore.  that is, until she started reading my blog.  and now i feel like i talk to her often (funny how that works), and i love it.  out of the kindness of her heart and since she knows my love of mexican food AND louisiana, she sent me TWO jars of her favorite salsa from her home state.

thank you, sweet roxie.

 5) the trees in my neighborhood.  when the weather is nice, the boys ride their "bikes" and i lay on a quilt and tree-gaze.

looking forward to valentine's day (no plans.  just because.)

how was your week?  what are you looking forard to?

love,

coco

a little pick me up

i have stayed up past midnight for two nights in a row.  i know, i know, wild and craaaazy.  that's me.

 

i am too old for that business.  i am tired, y'all.  so while my starbucks gets settled comfortably in my bloodstream, i will leave you with a song i heard on the radio this morning.  it was my little pick-me-up.  what songs lift your spirits?  i would love to know.

 

 

p.s.  just to prove my age, i am also in love with this new one from an old band very close to my heart.

 

love,

coco

greatest hits

i had a celebrity sighting!!!  not really, but kinda.  you know you are a blog-loving dork when you spot one of your favorite bloggers and are flipping out like you just spotted beyonce.  does anyone read simple lovely?  it's one of the first blogs i read, joslyn is from dallas, and i feel like i know her.  well, yesterday i spotted her husband and children at the park (sans the blogger herself) and got giddy with excitement.

seriously, i need to get a life.

sorry greatest hits is late.  i guess i was too busy geeking out over local blogger celebrities to get my act together.  my bad.

here's a peek at our week:

1) introducing the bonner family band 

(complete with a pantless frontman).

 2) my almost two year old mimics whatever his almost thirteen year old cousin does.  love it.

 3) dance parties before bedtime are not the best way to get your kids to wind down.  oh well.  we figure if you wear them out enough, they'll sleep better (which means we will sleep better).

 4) we got a valentine's package all the way from syracuse.

addy tried to take-off with some m&m's.

 5) because of my friend chance (in austin) we learned about target's first saturdays at the nasher sculpture center (in dallas).  thanks, chance!  chris made fun of me because my head was about to explode from almost all of my happy things happening simultaneously: gorgeous weather, my boys, art museums, food trucks (and later my super cool celebrity sighting).  he said the only thing missing to complete my perfect day was a margarita.  true, true.

 there was a sculpture scavenger hunt for kids.  ben wrote the artist's names all by himself, because he is basically fifteen already...sniff, sniff.  it's going by too fast, y'all.

 6) we followed up our museum run with a trip (acrross the street) to dallas' new gem, the klyde warren park.  we even ran into friends on the way out.  perfection.

looking forward to watching the superbowl commercials and cooking a big pot of gumbo.

how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

xoxo,

coco